Prison Break: Mugshots of 6 fugitives Released As Search Intensified, Says CG Ogallo

LAIKIPIA,Kenya, Sep, 26 – The search for 6 fugitive inmates that broke out of the Nanyuki G.K Prison has been enhanced a day after the mysterious incident, with a multiagency team consisting of officers from the Prisons Service and Kenya Police spearheading operations in Laikipia and neighboring counties.

Kenya Prisons Service Commissioner General Wycliffe Ogallo Sunday visited the prison on a fact finding mission saying that the Rift Valley Regional Coordinator will coordinate search efforts within the county and the region.

“We urge members of the public to provide any information that will help us arrest the six inmates who are dangerous and were in prison for murder and robbery with violence, ” said Ogallo.

The Director General reiterated that it was an offense for inmates to escape from prison and once apprehend they will be charged with, “escaping from prison accordingly,”

According to preliminary reports,14 inmates had initially managed to escape from the correctional facility by breaking the doors and grills on their cells before finally scaling the prisons perimeter wall and fleeing into Nanyuki town.

According to area residents gunshots could be heard as prison warders fired in the air in an attempt to stop the inmates.

Responding to the distress call, a contingent of officers from the Nanyuki police station were dispatched to assist warders in apprehending the inmates. By Saturday evening 8 out of the 14 inmates were apprehended and returned to jail

“At around 1am we heard gun shots from town,(Nanyuki) we wanted to know what was happening…we heard it was coming from prisons so we left with AP officers to find out what was the problem was. We found out prisoners were escaping, we worked together with our colleagues from prisons and managed to arrest 8 inmates,” said CCIO Laikipia County Onesmus Towett.

Police have warned members of the public to consider the inmates at large as dangerous and report any suspicious persons or activity to local law enforcement officers.

The have since been identified as: Francis Kamau Nduati, Patrick Fundi and James Sike who are serving time for robbery with violence.

Lereiyo Lekiare, Mareri Tetkor and Nangonye Lenawaso were also serving time for murder.

An inquiry has meanwhile been launched to establish how they managed to escape and how they acquired equipment to break out of their cells.

The equipment used have since been confiscated and admitted as evidence into the ongoing probe.