NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 18- When the three fugitive terror convicts now in lawful custody arrived in Endau, a remote town within Kitui County, they were visibly fatigued and hungry, locals said.
They also looked dusty but what remains interesting is how convicts serving jail terms that ranged between 41 and 15 years, had “such amount of money.”
Locals who spoke to Shahidi News said they were not keen on taking change, after purchasing something.
“They would buy and say keep the change. You see, this is a remote town, and getting change for such money would take time. You might even not get it,” a local who spoke to Shahidi News said.
So where did they get the money from? According to an incident report seen by Shahidi News, the three terror convicts were dropped in Endau by a Matatu.
“They took a motorbike from Endau to Kalungu a small town near Endau,” reads the incident report.
That, according to detectives was on Tuesday, a day after they escaped from the Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, in unclear circumstances.
Musharraf Abdalla Akhulunga a.k.a Zarkarawi, Mohammed Ali Abikar, and Joseph Juma Odhiambo a.k.a Yusuf were headed for Somalia when they were recaptured.
All this time, detectives received two reports from area chiefs, after locals raised an alarm over the presence of suspicious people.
In Twambui market, still within the area, they bought bread and milk at around 9 pm.
It was until the following day, on Wednesday, that a shopkeeper positively identified them as the terror convicts on the run.
“They had asked for the shortest route to Boni forest,” another local said.
They were arrested on Thursday morning.
Area chiefs were crucial in the operation since it is them that the locals briefed every time they spotted the terror convicts.
Shukri is said to have been arrested on September 30, 2021, “over his participation in a failed attempt to conduct a terrorist attack targeting parliament buildings.”
He was charged with possession of explosives, ammunition, and firearms. Detectives said he hails from Ekero area in Kakamega.
Abikar, detectives said was arrested following his involvement with the Garissa University attack on April 2, 2015.
Some 148 people, mostly innocent students who were in their rooms sleeping, were killed during the attack.
Yusuf, who also hails from Kakamega, was arrested on November 21, 2019, while in Bulla Hawa, Somalia.
Detectives said he was attempting to “enlist with the Al-Shabaab terror group.”
President Uhuru Kenyatta has since directed the investigating agencies to ensure all those who were involved are brought to book.
“In keeping with our ethos of good governance, in the intervening period and pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigations, the State Department of Correctional Services has similarly been directed to sanction disciplinary action against all Kenya Prisons Service personnel who were on duty when the security breaches occurred; which action shall include redeployment and/or immediate suspension of all affected officers,” the President said.
Drastic changes are expected within the leadership of one of the country’s critical agencies, within the criminal justice system.
The changes will be overseen by the new prison boss Brigadier (Rtd) John Kibaso Warioba. Wycliffe Ogallo, who was the Commissioner-General until Wednesday was fired.
The scope of investigations has also broadened, with police now seeking to know how they moved for more than 190 kilometres undetected.
It is not yet clear where they got the money from.
Already, 7 wardens from Kamiti have since been arrested and charged in court, while on Wednesday, Commandant of Kamiti Prison Charles Mutembei and his deputy were arrested and grilled at the DCI Headquarters.
The terror convicts have since been flown back to jail in an operation overseen by Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiangi.
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