Three police officers attached to Kamukunji Police Station were captured on CCTV releasing one of the two Ugandan suspects accused of kidnapping and possibly murdering a police officer.
The officers, a corporal and two constables, were arrested Wednesday and are expected to be charged in court today with aiding the escape of a prisoner, contrary to Section 124 of the Penal Code.
If convicted, they risk a jail term of seven years.
“An analysis of the CCTV footage between May 13 and 14 clearly captured the three officers who were on night shift release the suspect at around 5.05 am. The release was deliberate, and without permission from the station commander,” a senior detective said.
Martin Wasike had on May 14, escaped from police custody in unclear circumstances, prompting investigations by detectives from Kamukunji Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
According to a brief sent to Police headquarters, the officers have been identified as Corporal Vacity Kimeres, Constable Stephen Auko, and Constable Elias Koome, all former Administration Police officers.
Wasike, a Kenyan Phoebe Anindo and another Ugandan Shariff Wanabwa were on May 12, charged in court for allegedly kidnapping Constable Abel Musati on January 19.
The court then directed that they be detained until June 2.
The 27-year-old officer who attached to Kamukunji police station has not been traced since then but DCI detectives later on April 17 recovered his mobile phone in Eastleigh.
The dramatic escape happened just two days after the prosecutor warned that the severe sentences pronounced in the charges of murder were an incentive for the three to escape the wrath of the law.
“The prisoner was discovered missing by the OCS while checking the prisoners in custody. A team of officers from the Kenya Police Service and DCI Kamukunji has been dispatched to Mathare slums to track down the suspect,” Police headquarters said when the suspect escaped.
While opposing their release on bond, detectives said they feared the officer may have been killed.
Another Ugandan believed to have taken part in the kidnapping is yet to be arrested and detectives have notified the Interpol to help in tracking him down.
The suspects had applied to be released on bail arguing that they had been in remand for 21 days.
However, the lawyer representing Misati’s family, Alfred Nyandieka, opposed the application saying the three were a threat to public security if they could kidnap a well-trained police officer.
The prosecution had planned to extend the investigations to Uganda and later charge all of them with murder.
Senior Principal Magistrate Bernard Ochoi said the prosecution had presented compelling reasons to warrant the court to deny the suspects bond, adding that the two Ugandans had no fixed abode in Kenya and that they lacked identification.
