Detectives Investigate Dramatic Escape of Murder Suspect in Tharaka

Detectives in Tharaka Nithi County are investigating the dramatic escape of a murder suspect, Kenneth Mwiti Kiti, 33, from Marimanti Police Station. Kiti, arrested on November 24 by Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers, overpowered a police constable and fled on Saturday.

According to reports, three male suspects in custody requested to take a bath. After returning to their cell, Kiti claimed he had left his soap in the bathroom. Constable Erastus Gikunda allowed him to retrieve it, but upon returning, Kiti refused to re-enter the cell. He overpowered Gikunda, jumped over the station counter, and escaped to an unknown location.

Preliminary investigations reveal lapses in station protocol. Constable Samuel Mwathe, who was assigned to duty alongside Gikunda, had been reassigned by the station commander. Gikunda is now in custody, while Mwathe is under investigation. Despite extensive searches, Kiti remains at large.

This incident is part of a worrying trend of escapes from police custody. In August, notorious serial killer Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, who confessed to murdering 42 women, fled from Gigiri Police Station alongside 12 others, allegedly with insider help.

Earlier this year, Kevin Kang’ethe Kinyanjui, accused of murdering a Kenyan woman in the US, escaped from Muthaiga Police Station but was later rearrested and extradited. In May 2022, eight robbery suspects broke out of Thika Police Station after overpowering a guard.

The growing list of escapes raises serious concerns about security lapses in police stations. Authorities are under pressure to address weaknesses that enable such incidents, particularly involving dangerous suspects.