Man convicted of cultivating bhang escapes from prison

An inmate at Wundanyi GK Prisons has escaped.

Police and prison authorities said Claud Mwanyumba Ngalo was milking dairy cows belonging to a senior prison officer at the penal institution staff quarters at the time of his disappearance.

"The prisoner was left by a prison constable as he milked dairy cows and watered vegetables belonging to one of the senior officers in his compound. As the officer and other prisoners arrived later with fodder to feed the livestock, they found him missing," said a prison officer.

The authorities said the inmate, who hails from Mganga-Mwanda location in Taita Sub-County, was serving a two-years-six-months jail term for cultivating bhang in Taita-Taveta County and was to be released next year.

"The inmate whose case file number is 415/2015 escaped from lawful custody due to negligence by the prison warders. The authorities have been engaging prisoners in private chores at the expense of serving the community," claimed one of the prison officers who declined to be named for fear of victimisation.

The officer in-charge of the facility Khamasi Bakari could not be reached for comment as he was said to be in a crisis meeting.