Kenyan police have announced a “significant cash reward” for information leading to the capture of Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, a serial murder suspect who escaped custody earlier this week. Khalusha, along with 12 others, broke out of Nairobi’s Gigiri Police Station on Tuesday, prompting the suspension of eight police officers and the charging of five others in connection with the escape, which authorities believe was aided by insiders.
Last month, police reported that Khalusha had confessed to the murders of 42 women, including his wife, since 2022. His lawyer, however, claimed the confession was obtained through torture. Khalusha was set to be charged with murder before his escape.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has appealed for any credible information that could lead to Khalusha’s recapture, promising a cash reward for useful leads. The exact amount of the reward has not been disclosed.
Khalusha’s arrest came after the gruesome discovery of nine mutilated bodies in a disused quarry in Nairobi. The victims, aged between 18 and 30, were all killed in a similar manner. His escape, described by police as the work of a “psychopathic serial killer,” has sparked outrage across Kenya.
The 13 escapees reportedly cut through a wire mesh roof and scaled a perimeter wall to flee the Gigiri police station, which is located 10km (six miles) from Nairobi’s city center and near the regional UN headquarters and several embassies.
This is not the first high-profile escape in Nairobi this year. In February, fugitive murder suspect Kevin Kangethe, wanted in the US, also walked out of a police station unnoticed. He was later re-arrested, and a court has since approved his extradition to the US.