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Kenya seeks help in tracing convicts

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 6 – The government has formally written to Uganda asking for assistance in tracking down 10 prisoners who escaped from the Busia GK Prison on Monday morning.

Commissioner of Prisons Isaiah Osugo said they were now working closely with security forces in the neighbouring country in the manhunt for the hardcore criminals who scaled the wall of the tightly guarded prison facility and fled.

“We are doing everything possible to get them [inmates]. We are working closely with security forces from our neighbouring country,” Mr Osugo said on Tuesday.

Security forces tracking down the missing inmates said they strongly believed they are hiding in Uganda where two of them were re-arrested on Monday, hours after they escaped from the prison.

“We have so far managed to re-arrest three inmates. Two of them were re-arrested in Uganda while the third was captured within Busia.

Those re-arrested in Uganda were still wearing the black and white stripped uniform.

Ugandan police caught up with them 32 kilometres inside the country from the common border before they handed them over to their Kenyan counterparts in Busia.

And even as the search for the fleeing inmates intensified, Mr Osugo said warders interdicted would be charged in court for various offences including aiding the inmates to flee legal confinement.

He said security had been intensified at the Busia prison and the surrounding areas to avoid a repeat of the Monday incident.

“We have enough security in our prisons. There is no reason why we should be dealing with issues of prisoners escaping. The Busia case has been dealt with and legal action recommended on the culpable warders,” Mr Osugo said.

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The Commissioner said he would replace the senior management of the prison facility as part of a well structured re-organisation plan aimed at getting rid of untrustworthy warders.

“Believe me you will not hear of such an incident again. We have improved our policing systems and replaced some personnel whose conduct has been found to be wanting,” he added and revealed that a thorough vetting process for warders in the prisons was underway in all facilities in the country.

Mr Osugo said the explanation given by warders who were on duty when the inmates escaped was “too ridiculous.”

The warders had explained that the escape was plotted and executed when it was raining and therefore could not be detected because they [warders] were sheltering within the premises.

An investigation carried out by the police has however, established that the inmates’ escape was a result of collusion by the warders who have since been interdicted.
 

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