Nairobi — Five Kenyan police officers have been charged with aiding the escape of Collins Jumaisi, a man accused of being a “psychopathic serial killer,” from a Nairobi jail. Jumaisi, along with 12 Eritreans, escaped from their detention cell in an upmarket area of the Kenyan capital, leading to a significant manhunt that began Tuesday.
Jumaisi, 33, had been described by police as a “psychopathic serial killer with no respect for human life.” He was arrested last month after police discovered mutilated bodies in a rubbish dump in a slum area of Nairobi. The escape was reportedly facilitated by cutting through a wire mesh roof at the station.
Acting National Police Chief Gilbert Masengeli stated that preliminary investigations suggest the escape was assisted by insiders within the police force. The five officers arrested appeared in court on Wednesday, where police requested an extension of their detention for further investigation.
The breakout was discovered during a routine check around 5:00 am Tuesday when officers found that 13 prisoners had escaped through the damaged wire mesh in the station’s basking bay—a covered courtyard where detainees could get fresh air. The 12 Eritreans had been detained for illegal entry into Kenya. Four detainees who did not escape are assisting with the investigation.
The police station is located in the Gigiri district, which hosts the regional headquarters of the United Nations and several embassies.
Jumaisi, arrested on July 15, confessed to murdering 42 women over a two-year period, including his wife, according to police. His lawyer mentioned that Jumaisi claimed he had been molested and tortured.
This escape marks the second time in six months that a high-profile suspect has fled custody in Kenya. Earlier this year, Kevin Kangethe, wanted for the murder of his girlfriend in the U.S., escaped from a police station in February but was recaptured and ordered to be extradited in August.
