Kenya arrests 7 prison wardens

Seven wardens at Kenya’s Kamiti Maximum Prison have been arrested following the escape of three convicts who were serving jail terms for terrorism-related crimes.

The Interior CS Fred Matiang’i said preliminary investigations suggested the escape was abetted by laxity and incompetence. He vowed to ensure more arrests and prosecutions.

“Definitely, there is a certain level of irresponsibility we have to deal with in this particular case,” he said

He added that a massive manhunt involving specialized teams had been launched.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has since put a Sh60m bounty on the heads of the terror suspects.

Protecting Whistle Blowers

Matiang’i reiterated that the government will protect whistle-blowers who will volunteer information that could lead to the rearrests of the prisoners

“We are all mobilized and we have sent messages across the country and all exit and possible movement points out of the country. We are going to conduct a massive manhunt for those three. We have to get them,” Matiangi said.

The three escapees, Musharraf Abdalla Akhulunga also known as Zarkarawi, Mohammed Ali Abikar, and Joseph Juma Odhiambo have been described as armed and dangerous.

Abikar was charged and convicted in 2019 over his links to Al-Shabaab and for abetting the Garissa University attack of April 2015 that left 148 people dead.

Odhiambo was arrested in 2019 for trying to join the Somali terror group, while Akhulunga was arrested in 2012 over a foiled attack on Kenya’s parliament and charged with possessing explosives, ammunition, and firearms.

CGTN/Olajumoke/Qasim