Police in Kenya have offered a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of Collins Jumaisi, a suspected serial killer and other prisoners who escaped from a police cell in Nairobi.
A manhunt was initiated on Tuesday after Jumaisi, accused of murdering and dismembering dozens of women, escaped from prison with 12 Eritreans.
The five police officers suspected of aiding Jumaisi’s escape appeared in court on Wednesday. Although prosecutors sought to keep them in custody for 14 days, they were released on bail worth 200,000 Kenyan shillings.
The magistrate rejected the prosecutor’s claims that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had not yet obtained surveillance footage.
Jumaisi, 33, described by police as a “vampire” and “psychopath,” was apprehended last month following the grim discovery of several mutilated female bodies in a rubbish dump in the Mukuru slum area of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.
Police allege that Jumaisi has confessed to killing 42 women over two years starting in 2022, with his wife being the first victim. However, Jumaisi has claimed he was tortured following his arrest.
Officers reported that Jumaisi and other inmates escaped by cutting through a wire mesh roof of their holding cell and scaling a perimeter wall.
“A significant cash reward will be provided to anyone with credible information leading to the suspect’s arrest,” the DCI said, without specifying an amount.
Jumaisi’s escape from prison marks the second time in barely six months that a suspect in a high-profile case escaped from custody.
Kenya’s police watchdog, the Independent Police Oversight Authority, is investigating whether the police were involved in the killings as the bodies were discovered just 100 metres (yards) from a police station.
Over time, Kenyan police have been accused of carrying out unlawful killings or operating hit squads with few officers brought to book.
