Photo caption: Collins Jumaisi Khalusha (33) looks on at the Makadara Law Courts in Nairobi on August 16, 2024. – The Kenyan man who police said confessed to murdering and dismembering 42 women appeared in court, following the discovery of nine mutilated women’s bodies in a Nairobi abandoned quarry in the Mukuru slum, a gruesome discovery that has horrified the nation. (Photo by SIMON MAINA / AFP)
Kenyan police offered a cash reward on Thursday for information leading to the arrest of a suspected serial killer who escaped from a Nairobi police cell.
Police launched a manhunt on Tuesday after Collins Jumaisi, who is accused of murdering and dismembering dozens of women, broke out of a police station in an upmarket area of the Kenyan capital along with 12 Eritreans.
Five officers appeared in court on Wednesday suspected of aiding Jumaisi’s escape and have been freed on a 200,000 Kenyan shilling ($1,500) bond, despite prosecutors seeking an order to keep them in custody for 14 days.
Photo caption: (FILES) Collins Jumaisi Khalusha (C), 33, looks on at the Kiambu law Courts in Kiambu on July 16, 2024 | AFP
The 33-year-old Jumaisi, described by police as a “vampire, a psychopath,” was arrested last month after the gruesome discovery of a number of mutilated female bodies in a rubbish dump in the Mukuru slum area in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
Police say he has confessed to murdering 42 women over a two-year period from 2022, with his wife his first victim, but the suspect has claimed he was tortured after his arrest.
The officers said Jumaisi and the other men escaped by cutting through a wire mesh roof where he was being held, before scaling a perimeter wall.
“A significant cash reward will be provided to anyone with credible information leading to the suspect’s arrest,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said, without specifying an amount.
It is the second time in barely six months that a suspect in a high-profile case has escaped from custody in Nairobi.
The latest twist to the grisly story has infuriated many Kenyans, with the country appalled over the discovery of the butchered women.
It has also thrown a spotlight on police, as the bodies were found just 100 metres (yards) from a police station.
Kenya’s police watchdog, the Independent Police Oversight Authority, has said it was looking into whether there was any police involvement or a “failure to act to prevent” the killings.
Kenyan police are often accused by rights groups of carrying out unlawful killings or running hit squads, but few have faced justice.
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LG poll: Anambra electoral body begins ad hoc staff recruitment
The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission said it has commenced the recruitment of ad hoc staff for the September 28 local government poll in the state.
The commission in a press statement on Thursday, signed by the Chairman, Genevieve Osakwe, said the ad hoc staff would serve in various capacities during the poll.
Osakweh listed the category of positions available to include local government returning officers, ward collation officers, supervisory presiding officers, presiding officers, poll clerks, and poll orderlies.
She stated that applications for Local Government Returning Officers, Ward Collation Officers Supervisory Presiding Officers, and Presiding Officers should be submitted to ANSIEC, Headquarters, Awka, while applications for Poll Clerks and Poll Orderlies, are to be submitted at ANSIEC Local Government offices in all the 21 Local Government Areas in the State.
The statement read in part, “ANSIEC invites applications from interested eligible citizens of Anambra State for consideration and recruitment as Ad-hoc Staff to serve in various capacities in the forthcoming local government election.
“Eligible candidates could be retired and serving public officers of the federal and state governments, academic and non-academic staff of tertiary institutions, degree or HND holders, as well as OND holders or minimum of secondary school certificate holders.
“The application must be accompanied by two recent passport-size photographs and bio-data, stating the name, age, gender, address of current employment status or last place of employment, and three references one of which must be from present employment.
“A letter of introduction from the traditional ruler/president-general of their communities, among others should be addressed to The Chairman, Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission.”
The deadline for submission of the application was given as August 25.
