By Nyang’au Araka
An 18-year-old woman was arrested at Ruai Police Station after officers reportedly found escape tools hidden in a meal she had brought for three remanded suspects.
The rice and meat concealed a pair of pliers and a shear, allegedly intended to help the suspects break out of custody, the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said.
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The agency said that one Christine Njoki Gitau arrived at the station reception appearing to be an ordinary visitor and asked to see three friends detained at the station over robbery with violence and gang rape allegations.
She was carrying a plate of rice and meat, which she said was meant for the three suspects.
But before the meal could reach its intended recipients, a cell sentry subjected it to routine inspection.
Hidden beneath the food were a pair of pliers and a shear, according to the DCI.
The discovery immediately changed the nature of the visit, with officers arresting Gitau and launching investigations into the alleged plan to use the tools to break the suspects out of custody.
The three suspects — Emmanuel Bosire, Ismael Arisa and Brian Gatheru — are being held over allegations that they operated an anonymous TikTok account which they allegedly used to lure young women into meetings before robbing and sexually assaulting them.
The DCI said the discovery had prevented an alleged escape plan before it could be executed.
Gitau’s arrest has also opened another line of inquiry for investigators as they seek to establish whether other people were involved in the alleged plot.
The incident is a reminder of the unusual ways in which attempts to breach police custody can be concealed, with an ordinary meal allegedly becoming a means of smuggling escape tools into a police station.
The DCI warned that helping a suspect escape from lawful custody, or attempting to facilitate such an escape, is a criminal offence.
The agency said anyone found aiding such attempts would face the full force of the law.
