Kamiti Prison Wardens Who Helped Terrorists Escape Convicted

The Director of Public Prosecutions has secured the conviction of three Kamiti Maximum Prison officers who aided the escape of terrorist inmates in 2021.

In a statement on Tuesday, January 13, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said Senior Principal Magistrate Boaz Ombewa, while delivering his judgment at Kahawa Law Court, noted that the escape was “clearly well-planned and must have taken a considerable amount of time to execute.”

“Robert Kipkirui Soi, Kaikai Talengo Moses, and Willy Wambua were convicted of the offences of neglect of official duty, aiding prisoners’ escape, and organizing a meeting in support of a terrorist group,” the ODPP said.

The court found that on the night of November 14, 2021, and the morning of November 15, 2021, at GK Kamiti Maximum Security Prison in Kasarani Sub-County, Soi and Talengo, acting as Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) officers, “jointly wilfully neglected to prevent the escape of convicted prisoners, namely Abdala Ali and Juma.”

Kamiti Prison wardens who helped terrorists escape convicted

Senior Principal Magistrate Ombewa’s ruling followed evidence presented by Principal prosecution counsels James Machirah and Kennedy Amwayi, who called 14 witnesses to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers facilitated the escape of Musharaf Abdala (also known as Shukri, Sharif, Alex Shikanda, and Rashid Swaitar), Mohamed Ali Abikar, and Joseph Juma Odhiambo.

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According to the ODPP, Abdala Ali and Juma were serving sentences for terrorism-related offences.

Willy Wambua, the third officer, was convicted of aiding prison escape and organizing a meeting in support of a terrorist group.

Prosecutors showed that Wambua facilitated the movement of Abdul Majid Yassin from Cell No. 2 to Cell No. 6, enabling the convicts to meet inside Condemned Block “A,” in contravention of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2012. The case is scheduled for sentencing on January 20, 2026.

The escape in November 2021 involved meticulous planning by the inmates. According to court records, the terrorists drilled a hole in Cell No. 6 using a metal bar and nails and covered it with a piece of a mattress.

The 2021 escape

They also fashioned a makeshift rope from cut-up blankets tied together with a razor blade, which they used to climb the prison wall.

Musharaf Abdala, one of the escapees, had been arrested on September 30, 2012, for his involvement in a foiled terror attack targeting Kenya’s Parliament Buildings.

He faced charges of possession of explosives, ammunition, and firearms. Mohamed Ali Abikar was serving a 41-year sentence for his role in the 2015 Garissa University attack, alongside co-convicts Hassan Edin Hassan and Tanzanian national Rashid Charles Mberesero, who committed suicide in Kamiti in November 2023.

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The fugitives were eventually located at Malalani Market in Endau, about 100 kilometres east of Kitui town.

Local shopkeepers alerted authorities after spotting them buying milk, bottled water, bread, and biscuits, fearing they were armed and motivated by the Ksh60 million bounty on their heads.

Kitui County Police Commander Leah Kithei said the suspects were arrested in the Mwingemi area while attempting to reach the Mwingi-Garissa highway. The group had been hiding during the day and moving only at night to avoid detection.

Security sources confirmed that, following the tip-off, a large-scale operation was launched involving anti-terrorism police units and the anti-stock-theft unit. Officers surrounded the area to prevent the fugitives from escaping into neighbouring counties or across the Somali border.

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