Manhunt for Inmate Who Escapes from Custody Leaving His Clothes Behind

Police in Nairobi are in hot pursuit of a prisoner who allegedly escaped after being led outside his cell at the Industrial Area police station to take a bath.

According to reports, on July 19, Erickson Khata was detained and charged with defiling in violation of section 8 of the Sexual Offences Act at Makadara law courts.

Khata, had been arrested and arraigned at Makadara law courts on July 19 for the offence of defilement contrary to section 8 of the sexual offences act.

In the wee hours of Wednesday, July 27, the day the case was set for mention in court, Khata is said to have requested to be allowed to take a bath under the escort of an officer manning the report office.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the officer gave the prisoner some privacy, after which the 19-year-old escaped in his inner-wear, leaving the rest of his clothes behind.

“The officer became suspicious that all was not well when the pitter-patter of splashing water suddenly stopped, followed by an eerie silence. When he went to check, he was confronted by a half-full basin of lathered water, a piece of kipande soap and the prisoner’s clothes. The remandee was nowhere to be seen,” DCI said on Sunday.

The suspect is also accused of previously lying to prison officials that he is a minor in a bid to avoid being remanded at the Nairobi remand allocation maximum security prison.

“On July 26, he was escorted to Mbagathi hospital where the relevant tests were conducted and his apparent age was ascertained to be 19 years,” DCI added.