Four people arrested in connection with Masten Wanjala’s escape

Masten Wanjala confessed to killing about 13 children in different parts of the country. [File, Standard]

Three police officers and a medic have been arrested in connection with suspected child killer Masten Wanjala’s break-away from police cells on Tuesday night.

The officers were on duty at the Jogoo Road Police Station in Nairobi when Wanjala escaped from custody in unclear circumstances.

The fourth suspect, said to be a female doctor in Nairobi, was arrested after it was allegedly established that she had been in communication with Wanjala via phone.

It remains unclear how Wanjala was in possession of a mobile device despite being under lawful detention.

The officers have been identified as Police Inspector Philip Mbithi and Police Constables Boniface Mutuma and Precious Mwende.

The three cops spent Wednesday night at the Capitol Hill Police Station pending their arraignment on Thursday, October 14.

The fourth suspect, the medic, spent the night at Pangani Police Station.

The suspect escaped from Jogoo Road Police Station. [File, Standard]

The four will be charged with aiding a suspect escape from lawful custody, says a police report filed at the Capitol Hill Police Station under the OB Number 13/10/2021.

“The fourth suspect, preliminary investigations indicate, was in constant communication with Wanjala during his detention. It has been established that she is a medic, and is fairly wealthy,” a source privy to the Wanjala post-escape happenings told The Standard in confidence.

Wanjala, who was arrested in mid-July in connection with the murders of at least ten children, was to be arraigned on Wednesday, October 13, the morning he was discovered missing from the police cells.

It is suspected Wanjala walked out of custody at 9 pm on Tuesday alongside persons arrested for violating Covid-19 rules.

Section 30 of the National Service Standing Orders dictate that an inquiry into a suspect’s escape from custody be opened once the incident has been reported.

What the inquiry aims to establish is how the suspect escaped from police custody, and what measures should be taken thereafter.

“Every escape from police custody shall be subjected to an immediate inquiry and an inquiry file shall be opened containing all details including the finding and subsequent action taken,” says an excerpt from the Standing Orders.

The inquiry, mostly conducted by senior officers, must have statements of the involved parties, a summary of the incident, findings and recommendations on the way forward.

If found to have committed an offence, the officer is charged in a court of law and is relieved of his duties until declared innocent of the charges.