On the sun-drenched morning of Monday, May 5, 2025, seven suspects, escorted by police officers, made their routine shuffle through the gates of the Siaya Law Courts.
Handcuffed and under guard, they appeared one after another before Magistrate Jacob Mkala, their cases duly called and acknowledged in the solemn rhythm of court proceedings.
But what began as a standard court mention spiraled into a scene fit for the silver screen—a brazen, almost cinematic jailbreak that has since plunged the police force into an abyss of embarrassment and scrutiny.
After their court appearance, six of the seven suspects, all facing the grave charge of robbery with violence, orchestrated a bewildering escape that left bystanders—and officers—in stunned silence.
The fugitives, now the subjects of a countywide manhunt, include Fredrick Wafula Shikanda, John Ngote Itole, Farid Kimtai, John Okumu alias Otis, Albert Otieno alias Oliver, and Kevin Otieno Odhiambo.
Though shackled upon entry, they would soon vanish without a trace, slipping through the very hands meant to hold them.
According to a court official who spoke under the cloak of anonymity, the suspects were momentarily held in the basement—standard procedure—as they awaited their return to Siaya GK Prison.
It was here, under the noses of at least 20 officers patrolling the compound that the escape unfolded.
“The suspects asked to visit the toilet, a routine request that usually involves close escort by an officer,” the official recounted. “What we don’t understand is how six men, initially cuffed and closely watched, managed to vanish—handcuffs and all.”
But instead of returning, they discovered and slipped through a narrow, near-invisible opening—one not even believed to accommodate a grown man.
And yet, out they went, like shadows dissolving into daylight.
They emerged as free men, blending casually with civilians within the court compound before they slipped away. With no alarm raised, they simply walked out, past unsuspecting eyes, into freedom.
It wasn’t until four hours later, in a haze of belated realization, that the gravity of the situation dawned on police.
A headcount revealed only one suspect remaining—the others had long melted away. Panic erupted, and a frantic manhunt ensued.
The aftermath was swift and unkind. Thirteen police officers—Joan Komen, Hannington Kidadi, Cyril Murombo, Philip, Michael Kipkemei, Collins Kibet, Erastus Makenzi, Samwel Ombesa, John Mulwa, Fanuel Chacha, Wallecks Asugo, Evans Toel, and David Matheka—were rounded up and arraigned the following day, Tuesday, May 6.
They denied charges of aiding the suspects in escaping from lawful custody, even as the prosecution pushed for their continued detention amid ongoing investigations.
Speaking to the media, Siaya County Police Commander Serah Koki confirmed that the manhunt remained active: “The search for the suspects is ongoing, alongside internal investigations into the incident.”
Strangely, history seems to echo. Almost exactly a year prior, on May 14, 2024, another embarrassing escape unraveled—this time at Siaya GK Prison. Three inmates, tasked with working at the prison farm, made a daring dash into a nearby forest.
Two were re-arrested swiftly, but one—Joseph Otieno Okombo, 27—vanished like a ghost, never to be seen again. His escape, like the current debacle, painted a damning picture of systemic lapses in prison oversight.
As the story unfolds, the question that lingers in the air, like smoke, is: how many more times will the system be outwitted?
