Thirty-one days after suspected serial killer Collins Jumaisi Khalusha escaped from the Gigiri police cells in mysterious circumstances, Kenya’s premier security agencies are still running round circles in an attempt to trace the 33-year-old, who is still at large.
Officers touted as among the finest from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) tasked with re-arresting Jumaisi are back to their workstations in Nairobi – raising questions on how such a suspected dangerous killer could be allowed to roam freely for weeks.
Weeks after trying to waylay Jumaisi in Western Kenya, where he was believed to have fled, and monitoring any contact they hoped he would make with relatives, officers from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) and Operation Support Unit (OSU) seem to have scaled down their search.
These teams had expanded the hunt to Busia County where initial tip offs indicated Jumaisi was, but the search missions were unsuccessful.
At Jumaisi’s rural home in Vihiga County, detectives questioned the relatives of the missing man who informed the DCI that they had not spotted him since his escape from the Gigiri police cells on August 20 alongside 12 Eritrean illegal immigrants.
His relatives told investigators that Jumaisi did not contact them after the daring escape from Gigiri Police station that resulted in a number of officers being interdicted or transferred.
An investigator familiar with the matter, but who spoke to Nation.Africa in confidence, said that Jumaisi’s relatives have been living in fear of victimisation by fellow villagers, who at one time threatened to attack them if they allow the man to their home.
“We (investigators) are yet to get information on where the man could be hiding. He is not on phone and even the public is not volunteering any information,” said the investigator.
DCI boss Mohammed Amin has since announced a cash reward for anybody who will give credible information on Jumaisi’s whereabouts.
Two weeks ago, detectives from the OSU spent nearly a week at the Kenya –Uganda border point in Malaba after a tip off to the DCI indicated that Jumaisi was spotted trying to cross into Uganda.
Another official familiar with the behind-the-scenes operations intimated to the the Nation that the search for Jumaisi has hit a dead end, an indication that Kenyans may have to be content with the Kware murders mystery ending with an unresolved cliffhanger.
The situation has further been complicated by Jumaisi’s radio silence, evidenced by no contact with any known family member or friend.
Back in Nairobi, investigations into the August 20, 2024 escape by Jumaisi and 12 other detainees have also hit a snag as they are yet to find any evidence linking the suspected serial killer to any of the eight police officers from Gigiri station who were on duty that night.
The DCI has conducted an analysis on the mobile phones of the eight police officers who were on duty.
Among the eight are three senior police officers who include the station boss (OCS), the Gigiri police commander (OCPD) the duty officer at the police station.
Five officers – Gerald Mutuku, Zachary Nyabuto, Mollent Achieng, Evans Kipkirui and Ronald Babo – have since been arraigned and granted Sh200,000 bond each as investigations continue.
A source close to the probe said that investigators also scrutinised the M-Pesa statements of the officers, but did not find any evidence that could be used to press criminal charges.
National Police Service Spokesperson Dr Resila Onyango did not immediately respond to multiple calls and text messages to her known phone number inquiring on the status of the investigations.
Preliminary investigations pointed to possible collusion between some senior police officers and their juniors.
Detectives from the DCI headquarters probing the escape already handed over a preliminary report with details of the August 20 happenings to acting IG Gilbert Masengeli.
According to the report, on the day of the escape, there were 17 prisoners in the Gigiri Police cells.
There were 12 suspected illegal immigrants, three Kenyans arrested for being drunk and disorderly, and Jumaisi who had been a guest of the State for over a month, awaiting conclusion of investigations into his suspected murder of several women, whose bodies were dumped in the Kware site.
On that day, two police officers had been stationed at the report office, and two other officers were deployed to guard the police station.
A senior police officer from Spring Valley Police Station was deployed to supervise the night activities in the premises, under the Westland’s sub-county police command.
The police stations that senior officer was tasked with supervising include Runda, Gigiri, Spring Valley and Parklands.
Protocol dictates that by midnight, the duty officer should have conducted a routine check on everyone held in cells within those police stations.
On August 20, the duty officer arrived at Gigiri police station a few minutes after midnight and demanded to know, from the officer at the report office, the number of suspects in the cells.
The report stated that when the duty officer arrived, only one of the two policemen on duty at the report office was present.
The senior officer did not go into the cells and only inquired from the officer at the report office on the number of people in the cells before leaving.
At around 3am on that morning, the Nairobi area control room called the Gigiri station boss on the police pocket phone.
This is the time when the police conduct a routine check on the activities around the police stations in Nairobi. At that time referred to as morning call up, the controller at Police headquarter will call out all station commanders and inquire if there are any major incidents in their areas.
Up to that time, no one knew of the escape of prisoners form the Gigiri cells.
At approximately 5.30am the canteen staff arrived in the cells to deliver breakfast and established that there were only four suspects in the cells, yet they had been given instructions to prepare food for 17 people.
CCTV footage police obtained from a nearby premises showed a black seven-seater van driving out of Gigiri police station at 3.50am, turning into the main road towards the US Embassy and speeding off in the Runda direction.
The van’s number plate was not visible, because of the positioning of the cameras. Police are yet to release any updates on their search for the van, its driver or owner.
During interrogation, one of the officers on duty that night told investigators that shortly after 3am, he heard a vehicle engine revving outside the station’s main office block.
A senior police officer familiar with the matter said that upon interrogation, one of the two officers assigned to the report office that night confessed to taking a nap as his colleague held fort.
The napping officer had the keys to the cells in his pocket. He used the nap in an attempt to extricate himself from involvement in the escape, insisting that he could not explain how the suspects walked out of Gigiri police station undetected.
Based on the report, investigators have two theories – either someone duplicated the cell keys, or the napping officer lied.
The second officer at the report office told his seniors that he watched the cells as his colleague napped. He said he did not see anyone leave the cells.
Police procedures require that once a suspect arrives at a station, details pertaining to the individual and his or her suspected offence are recorded in the occurrence book (OB), including the time of arrival.
The officers will then conduct a body search on the suspect, who is then instructed to hand over all valuables including mobile phones, cash and belts.
After this, the suspect is directed into the cells as his or her details are logged into the police station cell register, particularly for individuals who will spend the night behind bars.
It is the cell register that is used by the station commander to order food for the suspects, and also account for the people in the cells.
The cell register is handed over to the station commander (OCS), who uses it to conduct a head count whenever needed.
When one leaves the police cells, whether on account of release or for presentation in court, it is recorded in the OB.
The Station commander, or an officer who is authorised, can order for a release of a suspect by indicating in the OB.
The area around the report office is manned on a 24 hours by armed police officers. This makes it hard for anyone who has not been cleared by the OCS to leave the police cells.
In court, State prosecutor James Gachoka had impressed on Nairobi Magistrate Martha Naanzushi to order that the officers be detained for 14 days pending investigations into the escape.
The prosecution told the court that the officers be detained at Spring Valley, Runda and Parklands until the probe is completed.
Benedict Kaulu who is leading the investigations told the court that the police are to record statements from over five witnesses.
Their mobile phones have since been presented to the cybercrime unit based at DCI headquarters forensic lab for further analysis.
Investigators now believe that rogue police officers who had access into the police cells facilitated the escape of the foreigners, and inadvertently giving Jumaisi a chance to head for the hills.
