UASIN GISHU,Kenya, Nov, 17 – Two robbery with violence suspects that had escaped from police custody at Kapsoya police station in Uasin Gishu county have been arrested by police in neighbouring Kisumu County.
The suspects identified as Elvis Odhiambo and Muhammad Adan had been masquerading as street boys in Manyatta slums before curious residents alerted members of the community policing team.
They were arrested at around 7am on Wednesday.
Residents that had initially nabbed the suspects and detained them at the Kosawo hall, accused them of being the recent terror fugitives that escaped from the Kamiti Maximum Prison this past Sunday.
Preliminary reports indicate that a police officer who responded to the scene had misidentified the suspects as the Kamiti escapees before detectives pursing the robbers positively identified them.
The robbery with violence suspects are said to have been in the area for about two days before their cover was blown.
It is said that actual street boys had initially raised alarm to the area chief over their presence.
“We have a strong network in the community and when we received reports of suspicious people roaming around the estate, we launched a manhunt for them,” said Francis Aluko, a member of the community policing at Manyatta A ward.
Kisumu Central sub county police commander James Ng’etich confirmed the incident saying that they have been coordinating efforts with their counterparts in Uasin Gishu in order to re-arrest them.
“It is true two suspects have been arrested but they are not terror suspects. They are robbery with violence suspects,” said Ngetich.
An incident report revealed that one of the suspects duped police officers into being allowed to go to the toilet before escaping alongside his friend.
Multi-Agency Security Team Launch Manhunt for Kamiti Escapees.
Seven wardens at the Kamiti Maximum Prison are in police custody following the escape of three convicts who were serving jail terms for terrorism-related crimes.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiangi said preliminary investigations suggested the escape from arguably the most secured maximum prison facility in the country was abetted by laxity and incompetence and vowed more arrests and prosecutions will follow after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations moved in to investigate the prison break.
The CS who led a senior security team to Kamiti prison last evening further announced a massive manhunt involving specialized teams had been launched across the country for Musharraf Abdalla Akhulunga a.k.a Zarkarawi, Mohammed Ali Abikar and Joseph Juma Odhiambo a.k.a Yusuf even as the DCI placed Sh60 million bounty on their recapture.
“We will not only go the direction investigations will point us but we will act resolutely to ensure this kind of recklessness does not happen again because it exposes our people. Definitely, there is a certain level of irresponsibility we have to deal with in this particular case.”
The fugitives include, Mohammed Ali Abikar who was jailed for 41 years for his role in the Garissa university Attack.
Musharraf Abdallah alias Shukri or Alex Shikanda was serving a 22 year sentence after he was convicted for being in possession of explosives and firearms. He is also said to have been planning an attack on parliament in 2019.
Joseph Juma Odhiambo was convicted for travelling to a terrorist designated country without passing through a designated immigration exit point and failing to report departure to the immigration office.
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