Two officers detained after suspect escape from police cells

Samson Khamari Liavoga when he appeared in Nakuru court on December 18, 2018. He escaped from police cell. [Harun Wathari, Standard]

Two police officers have been arrested after a robbery with violence suspect escaped from Nakuru Central Police Station under unclear circumstances.

The two police officers, Sharon Kipchumba and Peter Angura, were on duty when Samson Khamari Liavoga mysteriously disappeared from the highly guarded facility at 5am.

Last month, Principal Magistrate Bernard Mararo remanded Liavoga at the station following a successful application by the prosecution that the suspect be held pending his sentencing.

Court sentencing

Liavoga, 24, had pleaded guilty to the charge of robbery with violence, causing the death of Martin Mathea, 28, on November 6 and 7, 2018.

Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Francis Munyambu confirmed that two officers who manned cell sentry and report office had been arrested.

Mr Munyambu said that according to preliminary investigations, the officers allowed Liavoga to visit the toilet within the police station but he disappeared under unclear circumstances.

He said investigations into the conduct of the two officers had been launched and, if found guilty, the law would take its course.

Multiple sources told The Standard that Liavoga escaped after suspects were allowed to go to the toilet at 5am.

“The suspects were allowed to go to the toilet in pairs but Liavoga did not return,” said an officer who we cannot quote because he is not authorised to speak to media.

It is not clear how the suspect made it out of the station that is highly guarded and has a high perimeter wall.

Liavoga had undergone a medical test to ascertain his mental state and was due to be sentenced yesterday morning.

According to court documents, Liavoga admitted robbing Mathea of his television worth Sh30,000, electric kettle worth Sh4,000, a gas cylinder worth Sh3,800, decoder valued at Sh2,000, woofer and DVD worth Sh10,000, two mobile phones worth Sh18,000, a power bank valued Sh1,000, clothes and other accessories.

The escape of Liavoga from custody has raised several questions over security at the highly-guarded Central Police Station, with Mathea’s family demanding an explanation from the police how the suspect left the cell without their knowledge.

New development

Vincent Mathea, the father of the deceased, said they have been pursuing the case since the suspect was arrested, but the new development had left them more devastated.

He said he learnt about the escape yesterday at around 9am after Liavoga failed to appear in court.

“It is saddening at a time I was expecting to get justice from the courts in regard to the suspect only to be informed about his disappearance,” said Mathea.

Prosecution had requested Liavoga to be remanded at the police station pending results of medical test and sentensing.