Over the years, Kenya has experienced a number of prison breaks where prisoners have escaped from some of the most highly guarded facilities in the country.
Nonetheless, despite finding ways to break out of prison, security authorities have always acted swiftly to counter such incidents.
One of the most recent prison breaks in the country involved 14 inmates, some convicted murderers and others jailed for robbery with violence, who escaped from Nanyuki GK Prison.
This incident caught the attention of netizens, who questioned how such a large number of inmates could escape from a well-guarded facility.
Times Digital Kenya uncovers how they managed to escape and what eventually happened to some of them despite the successful breakout.
How they escaped
As part of a series of prison breaks in Kenya, on September 25, 2021, it was discovered that 14 inmates had devised a clever way to escape from Nanyuki GK Prison.
Although it is very difficult to escape from such a heavily guarded facility with vigilant officers, the fourteen men had a plan. Investigations revealed that they used hacksaws to cut through metal latches and cell doors. This created a large enough opening for each of them to slip out of the cell.
After all 14 inmates got out of the cell, they then proceeded to scale the prison’s perimeter wall, which was the final step in their quest for freedom.
Just as they had succeeded, police officers on patrol heard gunshots from the prison and, upon approaching, discovered that an escape was in progress.
With three hacksaws recovered from the scene, detectives questioned inmates as well as wardens on how the inmates managed to cut through the metallic latches of the doors without anyone hearing.
What happened to these inmates?
For eight of them, they did not taste “freedom,” as prison officers and Kenya Police officers arrested them while they were still in the process of escaping.
The six who successfully escaped were identified as James Sike, Patrick Fundi, Francis Kamau, Lereiyo Lekiare, Nangoye Lenawaso, and Mareri Tetkor.
Of the six, two were facing murder charges, while another two were charged for robbery with violence.
Two days after the escape, Francis Kamau, one of the six escapees, was arrested in Kirinyaga after residents alerted the police upon spotting him in the company of another inmate.
With security authorities having recaptured nine of the 14 inmates, they faced additional charges upon capture and were sentenced to serve an extra two years behind bars.
