NAIROBI, Kenya —The National Police Service (NPS) has publicly announced a substantial Ksh 1 million reward for credible information leading to the re-arrest of Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, the primary suspect in the brutal Kware massacre.
Khalusha, who is accused of murdering 42 women, including his wife, remains at large 13 months after escaping police custody.
Khalusha, a resident of Shaviringa, Vihiga County, was apprehended following the discovery of numerous dismembered female bodies at the Kware dumpsite in August of last year. Although he initially confessed to the mass murders, his legal counsel later contested the confession, alleging police coercion.
Khalusha, along with 12 other suspects, escaped from Gigiri Police Station on August 20, 2024, after cutting through the wire mesh of the facility’s basking bay.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) disseminated the reward notice on X, stating: “The National Police Service hereby pledges a cash reward of Ksh 1 million to anyone who provides credible information that will assist in the re-arrest of the suspect.”
The DCI urged the public to provide information through confidential channels: “Should you know his whereabouts, #FichuaKwaDCI through our toll-free hotline 0800 722 203, or Whatsapp Number 0709 570 000. You can also report to your nearest police station or through the police hotlines 999, 911, or 112. Every piece of information is valuable.”
This marks the second time the DCI has offered a reward for Khalusha’s capture, but it is the first time the specific amount has been publicly disclosed.
Torture allegations and police interdiction
Before his escape, Khalusha’s lawyer, John Ndegwa, had raised serious concerns in court regarding his client’s treatment in custody, claiming he was tortured into admitting guilt.
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Mr. Ndegwa previously told the court: “My client, as he sits there, is in dire need of urgent medical attention…for reasons that the period under detention, he was subjected to molestation, torture and the confession that the public is being treated to having murdered 42 persons is laughable.”
The lawyer further requested judicial intervention, stating:“My client has been subjected to horrendous inhuman mistreatment so that he can confess to issues which are alien to him. I pray that the court directs for urgent medical attention even as they do their investigations.”
The escape, which occurred just days before Khalusha was scheduled to be formally arraigned for murder, was widely reported as an “inside job.”
The incident prompted an immediate internal investigation and the interdiction of eight police officers who were on duty at Gigiri Police Station. Those interdicted included the Gigiri Sub-County Commander, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), and the report officers.