A manhunt is under way in Kenya after the escape from a Nairobi police cell of a man police claim had confessed to murdering 42 women after dismembered bodies were found in a quarry.
Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, 33, described by police as a “vampire, a psychopath” after his arrest on July 15, broke out on Tuesday morning along with 12 undocumented Eritrean migrants, Kenya police spokeswoman Resila Onyango said.
Their escape was discovered when officers made a routine visit to the police station cells at about 5am (02:00 GMT) to serve the prisoners breakfast, the police said in a separate statement.
“On opening the cell door, they found that 13 prisoners had escaped by cutting the wire mesh in the basking bay,” it said, referring to an area in the station where detainees could get access to fresh air.
The police station is located in the upmarket Nairobi district of Gigiri, home to the regional headquarters of the United Nations and numerous embassies.
Gilbert Masengeli, the acting police inspector general, said disciplinary measures were taken against eight officers who were on duty after preliminary investigations “indicate that the escape was aided by insiders”.
Khalusha had appeared in a court in the Kenyan capital on Friday, when the magistrate ordered him to be held for 30 more days to enable police to complete their investigations.
By Aljazeera
