Kenyan police launched a massive manhunt on Tuesday after Collins Jumaisi, a man accused of murdering and dismembering 42 women, escaped from a Nairobi police cell along with 12 other detainees.
Jumaisi, 33, who police described as a “vampire” and a “psychopath,” was arrested last month following the discovery of mutilated bodies in a Nairobi slum.
The police are now conducting a major security operation to recapture the 13 escapees, according to police spokeswoman Resila Onyango.
The breakout was discovered during a routine morning check at around 5 a.m. when officers went to serve breakfast to the detainees.
Police reported that the prisoners escaped by cutting through the wire mesh in the cell’s basking area, a section where detainees are allowed to access fresh air.
Among those who fled with Jumaisi were 12 individuals of Eritrean origin, who were being held as “illegally present immigrants”.
The escape occurred in Nairobi’s upscale Gigiri district, which houses the regional headquarters of the United Nations and several embassies.
This incident marks the second time in six months that a suspect in a high-profile case has escaped from custody. Earlier this year, Kevin Kangethe, a Kenyan national accused of murdering his girlfriend in the United States, escaped from a police station before being recaptured about a week later.
Jumaisi had appeared in court in Nairobi just days before his escape, where a magistrate ordered his detention for another 30 days to allow police to complete their investigation.
His arrest followed the discovery of ten butchered female bodies in plastic bags at a dumpsite in the Mukuru slum. This shocking find came on the heels of the Shakahola forest massacre, where over 400 bodies were discovered in mass graves linked to a cult leader who allegedly incited his followers to starve themselves to death.
After his arrest, the head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Mohamed Amin, stated that Jumaisi had confessed to murdering 42 women between 2022 and 2024, with his wife being his first victim. Amin described him as a “vampire” and a “psychopath.”
The discovery of the bodies near the Mukuru slum, just 100 meters from a police station, has raised concerns about the Kenyan police force.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) is conducting its own investigation into the case, and Kenya’s Independent Police Oversight Authority is examining whether there was police involvement or negligence in preventing the killings.
Kenyan police have frequently faced accusations from rights groups of carrying out extrajudicial killings and running hit squads, but accountability remains rare.
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