On August 20, 2024, Collins Jumaisi Khalusha along with 12 other detainees escaped from police custody. The escape occurred at a Nairobi police station in the upscale district of Gigiri. The group reportedly cut through a wire mesh roof and scaled a perimeter wall.
The escape was discovered at 5:00 AM local time when officers were serving breakfast. Eight police officers including the area and station commanders were suspended for suspected involvement in aiding the escape.
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Collins Jumaisi Khalusha allegedly confessed to the murder of 42 women. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) described him as a psychopathic serial killer with no regard for human life.
Collins Jumaisi Khalusha’s lawyer, John Maina Ndegwa denied the confession claiming his client had been tortured into confessing.
Ndegwa highlighted signs of distress and anguish in Khalusha suggesting that his statements were coerced.
Before the escape, a Nairobi court had ordered that Khalusha be held for an additional 30 days to allow for investigation. This was after his initial court appearance on July 15, 2024, following his arrest.
The proximity of the crime scene to a police station and the arrest of Collins Jumaisi Khalusha led to suspicions of police involvement in the killings.
The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) launched an investigation into police complicity or failure to act in preventing the murders.
After the escape, the acting Inspector General of Police, Gilbert Masengeli confirmed that disciplinary measures were taken against the eight suspended officers.
The case exacerbated public distrust in the Kenyan police force, which has faced numerous accusations of human rights abuses including extrajudicial killings and abductions during anti-government protests.
The Kenyan police force has a history of alleged human rights violations including unlawful arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings.
These allegations have been documented by various human rights organizations leading to scrutiny and calls for reform.
The Collins Jumaisi Khalusha case emerged in the aftermath of another disturbing incident in Kenya, the Shakahola Forest Massacre. Over 400 bodies were discovered in mass graves with victims allegedly coerced into starving themselves by cult leader Paul Mackenzie.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the escape was the result of negligence and was facilitated by insiders within the police force.
This has led to the arrest of eight police officers, five of whom have already appeared in court. The court has been asked to extend their detention by 14 days to allow for a thorough investigation.
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Earlier this year, Kevin Kangethe accused of murdering his girlfriend in the United States also escaped from a police station before being recaptured.
Collins Jumaisi Khalusha is accused of being one of Kenya’s most notorious serial killers. A former motorcycle taxi driver, he was arrested in July 2024 after police discovered the dismembered bodies of ten women in plastic sacks in the Kware area of Nairobi.
Collins Jumaisi Khalusha allegedly confessed to the murder of 42 women including his wife over a two-year period from 2022 to 2024.
His modus operandi reportedly involved luring his victims, murdering them, mutilating their bodies and dumping the remains in a rubbish dump. However his lawyer has claimed that Collins Jumaisi Khalusha was tortured into making this confession.
The case came to light after the relatives of a missing woman claimed they had a dream in which she guided them to search in a disused quarry in the Mukuru slum. A local diver acting on this tip discovered bodies wrapped in plastic sacks.
A forensic examination revealed details about the victims. Most of the bodies were mutilated with only one body found intact.
While DNA analysis has identified six victims, many remain unidentified due to advanced decomposition.
The victims aged between 18 and 30 were killed in a methodical manner leading to comparisons between Collins Jumaisi Khalusha and the infamous American serial killer, Ted Bundy.
During his arrest police found a machete, gloves, nylon sacks, mobile phones and identity cards belonging to the victims at Collins Jumaisi Khalusha’s residence.
Collins Jumaisi Khalusha alongside two other suspects who were found with cellphones belonging to the deceased women was scheduled to enter a plea on Friday, August 23, 2024.
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