Prisoners make a daring escape on their way to Kabarnet Law Courts

Commissioner of Prisons Isaiah Osugo. Five hardcore criminals made a daring escape while they were being escorted to Kabarnet Law Courts on Wednesday.

What you need to know:

  • The handcuffed criminals, who were from the Eldoret GK Prison and escorted by four armed prison warders, escaped less than a kilometre to Kabarnet Town.

  • The suspects faced murder, robbery with violence and cattle rustling charges.

  • One of them, who faced an additional charge, had been handed life imprisonment while another was serving a three-year jail term.

  • Baringo County Commissioner Peter Okwanyo said the prisoners over-powered the warders as they climbed Kiboino Hills to Kabarnet Town.

Five hard-core criminals made a daring escape while they were being escorted to the Kabarnet Law Courts on Wednesday.

Police and prison authorities suspect the escapees, who were required to testify against a suspect at the court, colluded with warders to defeat the course of justice.

The handcuffed criminals, who were from the Eldoret GK Prison and were being escorted by four armed prison warders, escaped less than a kilometre from Kabarnet Town.

The suspects faced murder, robbery with violence and cattle-rustling charges.

One of them, who was facing an additional charge, had been handed life imprisonment while another was serving a three-year jail term.

Baringo County Commissioner Peter Okwanyo said the prisoners overpowered the warders as they climbed Kiboino Hills to Kabarnet Town.

“One of the suspects hit the prison warder before making the daring escape,” said Mr Okwanyo.

WERE TO TESTIFY

“The escapees were to testify against another suspect who was standing trail at the court,” added Mr Okwanyo, saying a manhunt had been launched to arrest the escapees.

The administrator said investigations had been launched to establish whether the prison warders played a role in the escape.

“We cannot rule out foul play in the escape and action will be taken against the prison warder if investigations establish that they helped the suspects escape,” said Mr Okwanyo.

According to prison sources, all the suspects and the prison warders were from the same community.

Sources indicate that the prisoners walked nonchalantly into a thicket towards River Kerio before having a meal in a nearby food kiosk.

Unconfirmed reports indicate the prisoners escaped with a gun from one of the prison warders.

Meanwhile, a few suspects, among them motorcycle operators, were yesterday arrested in a swoop to nab the prisoners. They were later released.