Murder suspect escapes out of police cells, officers questioned

A Ugandan accused of the abduction and suspected murder of a police officer is on the run after escaping from custody in unclear circumstances.

On Tuesday, Martin Wasike, fellow Ugandan Shariff Wanabwa and Kenyan Phoebe Andayi were charged with kidnapping Constable Abel Misati on January 17.

But Wasike went missing on Thursday from the Kamukunji Police Station where the court had directed that he should be detained until June 2.

Officers at the station said the Ugandan managed to slip away during shift changes and his disappearance was only discovered during roll-call.

The officers who were on duty have since been questioned, with the authorities said to be preparing charges against them for aiding a suspect's escape from lawful custody.

The three suspects had applied to be released on bail when they appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Bernard Ochoi, arguing that they had been held in remand for 21 days.

But the prosecution warned that the suspects would vanish into thin air because of the serious nature of the charges they were facing.

The lawyer representing Misati’s family, Alfred Nyandieka, also opposed the application, saying the three were a threat to public security if they could kidnap a well-trained police officer.

Nobody has heard from the 27-year-old officer for the last four months. On April 17, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations tracked and recovered his mobile phone in Eastleigh.

The magistrate refused to grant the suspects' request, noting that the Ugandans had no permanent residence in Kenya and they also lacked identification documents.