NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 22 – Three police officers attached to Nairobi’s Jogoo Road Police station have been charged with aiding the escape of an offender from lawful custody.
The trio, Inspector Philip Mbithi, Corporal Mutuma Boniface and Mwende Mwinzi, were ordered to place Sh150,000 bail each and a contact person each to secure their freedom pending trial.
They were implicated in the escape of serial killer Masten Wanjala, 20, who was murder by a mob in Bungoma days after he escaped.
Senior Principal Magistrate Benard Ochoi gave them an alternative of processing a Sh300,000 surety bond each with the case set for mention on November 4.
During the pendency of the investigations, the officers were released on a cash bail of Sh100,000 each on October 15 and were directed by the duty court to be reporting to the investigating officer on daily basis for a period of 7 days after which they were to be arraigned to face charges.
Wanjala, considered to be a threat to the public, especially children, was arrested sometime in July but had been in custody since after investigators, on at least two occasions, asked for his plea taking to be deferred to allow them time to conclude investigations.
Soon after his arrest, Wanjala took police to at least six murder scenes in Nairobi’s Shauri Moyo and in Western Kenya where he had dumped the bodies and was taken to court days later.
Murders his executed appeared to target 12- and 13-year-olds and dated back five years, according to statements taken by the police.
In Shauri Moyo, Nairobi, police said he led detectives to scenes where he confessed to killing and dumping two minors. Another body was recovered in Westlands.
Wanjala also led the detectives to Kabete during the search where they recovered two more victims’ bodies from a river believed have been killed by the suspect.
The suspect was also said to have committed other murders in Machakos, Bungoma.