NAIROBI, Kenya — Police have launched an investigation into a baffling security breach after Alex Kibisu, a convicted inmate, vanished from the Kibera Law Courts moments before a sentencing hearing. Pressure is mounting on authorities to explain how a handcuffed prisoner could bypass security officers and scale a perimeter wall to escape.
The audacious escape, which took place around midday, has left both prison and court officials scrambling for answers. Kibisu dramatically fled the court’s holding cells by leaping over the rear perimeter wall while still restrained in handcuffs.
The inmate is currently serving a 20-year sentence at Kamiti Prison for violent robbery charges. He was in court to face an additional charge stemming from a 2023 armed robbery in Lang’ata, during which he allegedly shot and injured a victim, Duncan Shiemi, in a mugging incident.
The rear wall behind the court’s cells—a location typically monitored and considered secure—is believed to be the precise point of Kibisu’s bold escape. Local residents suggest this area leads directly into the intricate, maze-like structures of the Kibera slums, complicating any immediate pursuit.
Police units from the prison service have reportedly established a presence within the informal settlements of Kibera, attempting to track Kibisu’s suspected escape route.
Investigators believe the fugitive may have utilized a passage through the densely populated slum area to disappear without detection. As of the publication of this story, Kibisu remains at large, and the Prisons Administration has not yet issued an official comment.
Law enforcement agencies have intensified their search efforts as public scrutiny mounts over potential lapses in supervision and accountability.
The incident has raised serious questions about security protocols at the Kibera Law Courts: How did Kibisu manage to bypass four separate security checkpoints, each reportedly under armed guard? Why has the Prisons Department remained silent on the matter? And what measures are being implemented to prevent similar breaches in the future?
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Questioning of the prison police officers from Kamiti who escorted him to court is currently underway.
Kibisu was originally convicted of robbery with violence and sentenced to life imprisonment.
However, his appeal resulted in the substitution of the death sentence with a concurrent 20-year imprisonment term for each count, effective from December 11, 2023.
On Wednesday, he was appearing for another robbery with violence case in Court 3 when he made his escape.
