Police officers have been forced to set up a temporary operation base in Kibera following a shocking escape by a prisoner from Kamiti Maximum Prison. The inmate managed to slip away from tight security at the Kibera Law Courts and disappeared into the maze-like structures of the densely populated slum.
According to initial reports, the prisoner made his daring escape on Wednesday, July 23, shortly after appearing in court for a hearing related to a violent robbery case dating back to November 2023. In that incident, the inmate allegedly shot and injured a man in Lang’ata.
Although he arrived at the court under heavy guard and in handcuffs, he still managed to outsmart the officers and break free.
Eyewitnesses and police reports suggest the inmate cleverly slipped past at least four different security checkpoints within the court compound. He then reportedly scaled a perimeter wall at the back of the facility and vanished into the narrow, congested paths of Kibera.
The escapee is currently serving a 20-year sentence after successfully appealing a death penalty. The court had earlier converted his sentence to 20 years imprisonment on each count, with the terms running concurrently starting from December 11, 2023. On the day of the escape, he had been brought to Courtroom 3 at the Kibera Law Courts for another case involving robbery with violence.
Investigations now point to possible negligence and poor coordination among prison and court security officers. Despite being handcuffed and heavily guarded, the inmate seemed to have taken advantage of weak spots in the security setup and possibly used his knowledge of the terrain to plan the escape.
Police have since flooded the Kibera area, combing through different zones in search of the fugitive. Residents have been urged to stay alert and report any suspicious individuals, but they’ve also been cautioned to remain safe as the manhunt continues.
So far, no official comment has been made by the Kenya Prisons Service regarding the breach. However, the incident has triggered widespread concern about the effectiveness of security protocols in courts and correctional institutions.
Interestingly, this is not an isolated event. In January this year, eight inmates made headlines after pulling off a bold jailbreak from Wundanyi Prison in Taita Taveta County. According to prison authorities, the group escaped by climbing onto the roof and breaking through, exploiting a weakness in the prison’s structure.
The recent escape in Kibera now raises even more questions about how prepared the prison system is to handle high-risk inmates — especially when they are moved for court appearances.
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