Three officers attached to GK Kamiti Maximum Security Prison have been convicted for their role in facilitating the escape of convicted terrorists in November 2021, in a case prosecuted by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
In a judgment delivered at the Kahawa Law Courts, Senior Principal Magistrate Boaz Ombewa ruled that the escape of the inmates was “clearly well-planned” and required deliberate actions over a period of time, dismissing claims that it could have occurred accidentally or through mere negligence.
The officers — Robert Kipkirui Soi, Kaikai Talengo Moses, and Willy Wambua — were found guilty of neglect of official duty, aiding prisoners to escape, and organizing a meeting in support of a terrorist group.
The court heard that the prosecution, led by Principal Prosecution Counsels James Machirah and Kennedy Amwayi, called fourteen witnesses who demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that the three officers aided the escape of Musharaf Abdala alias Shukri alias Sharif alias Alex Shikanda alias Rashid Swaitar, Mohamed Ali Abikar, and Joseph Juma Odhiambo.
The escape took place on the night of November 14, 2021, and the morning of November 15, 2021, at GK Kamiti Maximum Security Prison in Kasarani Sub-County, Nairobi City County.
At the time, the three inmates were serving sentences for terrorism-related offences.
Magistrate Ombewa found that Soi and Talengo, while serving as officers of the Kenya Prisons Service, “jointly wilfully neglected to prevent the escape of convicted prisoners,” despite being responsible for the custody and security of the inmates.
Wambua was separately convicted on counts of aiding a prison escape and organizing a meeting in support of a terrorist group.
The court accepted prosecution submissions that on or before November 15, 2021, Wambua “directly and/or indirectly wilfully aided the escape of convicts who were in lawful custody.”
The court was also told that Wambua organized an unlawful meeting involving four convicted terror inmates at Condemned Block “A,” Cell No. 6, by facilitating the movement of Abdul Majid Yassin from Cell No. 2 to Cell No. 6, in violation of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2012.
In his ruling, the magistrate held that the prosecution evidence was coherent and uncontroverted, firmly placing the accused officers at the centre of the escape plot.
The case will proceed to a sentencing hearing scheduled for January 20, 2026, where the court is expected to determine the appropriate punishment for the convicted officers.
