A chilling silence has fallen where there should be justice. The prime suspect in one of Kenya’s most gruesome murder investigations, linked to the mutilated bodies of several women discovered at the Kware dumpsite, remains at large after a brazen escape from police custody, and the nation’s top detectives are turning to the public for help.
Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, the man police describe as the central figure in the “monstrous” killings that horrified the nation, was moments away from facing a murder charge. Instead, on Monday, August 20, 2024, he vanished from police custody, transforming a courtroom drama into a nationwide manhunt.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has now taken the extraordinary step of publicly pledging a Ksh 1 million cash reward for any information that leads to the re-arrest of Khalusha. The move underscores the severity of the case and the urgency with which authorities are treating his escape.
“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations is seeking the public’s help in providing information that could assist in the re-arrest of Collins Jumaisi Khalusha,” a DCI notice stated, confirming he was scheduled to be charged before his disappearance.
The case against Khalusha is not for the faint of heart. He is the key suspect in the killings of several women whose bodies and body parts were retrieved from the Kware dumpsite in Nairobi, a grim discovery that sent shockwaves across the country and sparked protests demanding justice for the victims.
The new wanted notice pegs his last known location to his rural home: Shiru Sub-location, Shaviringa Location, in Hamisi Sub-county, Vihiga County. However, authorities believe he could be anywhere, relying on a network of associates to evade capture.
The National Police Service, in a separate poster, emphasized the significance of the reward, stating it is for “anyone who provides credible information that will assist in the re-arrest of the suspect.”
For a public still reeling from the brutality of the alleged crimes, the escape has raised troubling questions about security within the police force and the ability to hold suspects accountable for high-profile offences.
Authorities are urging anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. Information can be reported confidentially to the anonymous Fichua Kwa DCI hotline at 0800722203, or the national police hotlines 999, 911, and 112. Tips can also be given at any police station across the country.
As the hunt continues, a nation waits, hoping for a break in the case that will see the suspect brought back to the courtroom he once escaped, and the victims’ families one step closer to the justice they deserve.
