Terror Convicts Who Escaped from Kamiti Claim They Were Aided by Prison Officers

Three terror convicts who were re-arrested after breaking out of Kamiti Maximum Security Prison last week claim they were aided by prison officers.

Sources say the three: Musharaf Abdalla alias Alex Shikanda (34), Joseph Juma Odhiambo (30), and Mohammed Ali Abikar (35) have confessed to have been helped to escape by people inside the country’s most guarded detention facility.

They are said to have removed a brick on the wall of their cell then used blankets, strings, and broomsticks to make improvised ropes that they used to scale two high walls around the prison.

The three then used a private car from Kamiti to Machakos where they boarded a public service vehicle to Kitui town and eventually to Endau in Mwingi east where they were captured following a tip-off from members of the public.  It is suspected that the three were planning to cross over to neighboring Somalia.

Detectives have since recovered two phones used by the three during the escape and are still searching for two vehicles; one that ferried them to Machakos and another that was allegedly on standby to whisk them into Somalia.

The three convicts are being held at the Anti-Terror Police Unit headquarters after a Nairobi court directed that they be detained for 10 days to allow detectives to complete investigations.

They were arraigned before Principal Magistrate Boaz Ombare of Kahawa law courts on Monday.