In Kenya, a guy who is wanted for the murder of 42 women has escaped from police custody, inciting indignation and alarm. Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, who had allegedly admitted to the murders, escaped from the prison together with twelve other detainees who were all citizens of Eritrea and were being held because they were in Kenya without authorization.
The breakout happened at a Nairobi police station early on Tuesday morning. When breakfast was served to the cell, the prisoners realized they had broken out of their cell by chopping through the wire mesh and climbing the outer wall. Given that the police station was well-guarded, Kenyan officials believe that insiders helped the escape. Eight officers, including the commanding officers of the station and those on duty at the time, have been disciplined as a consequence.
Khalusha, 33, was detained by police after a judge gave investigators an additional week to look into his alleged offenses before filing charges. In Nairobi’s Kware neighborhood, ten bodies and other mutilated body parts wrapped in plastic sacks were found in July, leading to his arrest. Among the 42 victims Khalusha is said to have admitted to killing is his wife, who is also charged with her murder.
This escape is especially concerning considering the seriousness of the allegations Khalusha is facing. He is now considered a high-value suspect by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, and pressure is mounting on the authorities to apprehend him and the other escapees.
John Maina Ndegwa, Khalusha’s attorney, has refuted his client’s guilt, arguing that Khalusha was coerced into making a confession to the killings. Given that Ndegwa last communicated with Khalusha a few days before to his disappearance, Ndegwa expressed disbelief upon learning of the escape.
Senior police officials have begun an inquiry into the escape, and the police station was blocked off with crime scene tape after it happened. While the hunt continues for Khalusha and the other escapees, two additional suspects who were discovered in possession of smartphones belonging to several of the slain ladies are scheduled to appear in court next week.
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