Three prison wardens attached to GK Kamiti Maximum Security Prison have been sentenced after a Nairobi court found them guilty of helping convicted terror inmates escape, an act the court said posed a serious threat to national security.
The wardens — Robert Kipkurui Soi, Kaikai Talengo Moses, and Willy Wambua — were sentenced by Kahawa Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Boaz Ombewa. The court noted that the escape was well planned and could not have happened without help from prison officers.
Soi and Talengo were each fined Sh100,000, with a six-month jail term as an alternative if they fail to pay. Their co-accused, Willy Wambua, received a heavier penalty and was fined Sh200,000, or one year in prison if he defaults.
In addition, Wambua was fined Sh800,000, or face two years in jail, after being found guilty of organising a meeting in support of a terrorist group.
The prosecution told the court that the officers helped terror convicts Musharaf Abdala, Mohamed Ali Abikar, and Joseph Juma Odhiambo escape on the night of November 14, 2021, and the morning of November 15, 2021. The three inmates were serving jail terms for terrorism-related offences.
The court agreed with the Director of Public Prosecutions that the escape could only have happened due to deliberate actions or negligence by officers trusted with securing the prison.
The magistrate ruled that the wardens’ actions compromised prison security, endangered public safety, and undermined trust in the Kenya Prisons Service.
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