kymnjoro
Elder Lister
It sounded almost impossible.
Three men serving lengthy sentences for terrorism-related offences were locked inside Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, one of Kenya’s most heavily guarded correctional facilities.
Yet, in the darkness between the night of 14 November and the morning of 15 November 2021, they vanished.
What followed was one of Kenya’s most dramatic prison escapes — and the full story would later reveal that this was far more than simply three inmates finding a way over a wall.
THE PLAN BEGAN INSIDE CELL 6
The three escapees were Musharaf Abdalla Akhulunga, Mohamed Ali Abikar and Joseph Juma Odhiambo alias Yusuf.
Abikar was serving a 41-year sentence linked to the 2015 Garissa University terror attack, while the other two were also serving sentences for terrorism-related offences.
According to evidence presented in court, the escape had been carefully planned.
Inside Cell No. 6, Block A, the men created a hole through the wall using metal implements. They then covered the opening with pieces of mattress and other materials to conceal their work.
They also cut blankets into strips and tied them together to create a makeshift rope or ladder that would help them scale the prison walls. Court exhibits included a chisel, razor blades, nails and pieces of blankets and mattresses used in the operation.
But there was an even more disturbing allegation.
One of the escapees, Musharaf, told the court that two wardens who were never charged had supplied some of the materials, including a chisel, razors, paper and soap. He alleged that money had changed hands.
Those allegations were his testimony and should be distinguished from the separate findings against the officers who were ultimately convicted.
THEN CAME THE NIGHT
After waiting for other prisoners to sleep, the three made their move.
They squeezed through the opening, reached the outer section and used their makeshift climbing equipment to scale the wall.
A fourth cellmate, Abdulmajid Yassin, who had a disability, remained behind. He was later charged with allegedly aiding the escape but denied the charge.
The question that immediately shocked the country was simple:
How could three terrorism convicts escape from a maximum-security prison without being stopped?
The answer would eventually emerge in court.
THE INSIDE CONNECTION
In January 2026, a Kenyan court convicted three Kamiti officers — Robert Kipkirui Soi, Kaikai Talengo Moses and Willy Wambua — over their roles in the episode.
The court found Soi and Talengo guilty of neglecting their official duties, while Wambua was found to have played a more direct role, including facilitating the movement of prisoners and organising a meeting involving terror convicts.
The magistrate said the escape was well planned and must have taken considerable time to execute. Prosecutors called 14 witnesses in the case.
The convictions transformed the story from a simple jailbreak into a case involving serious failures and proven insider assistance within the prison system.
THE GREAT ESCAPE TO KITUI
Once outside Kamiti, the fugitives began a desperate journey south-east.
Reports indicate they travelled through Machakos and into Kitui, using private and public transport before continuing on foot.
Their apparent destination was Boni Forest and eventually the Somalia border.
But the escape plan began falling apart.
They were hungry.
They were thirsty.
And they were increasingly lost.
On 18 November 2021, just three days after the escape, the three appeared at Malalani market in Endau, Mwingi East, Kitui County.
They bought milk, bottled water and biscuits.
Then they made a mistake that would end the four-day manhunt.
They began asking locals for directions towards Garissa and the Boni Forest.
People became suspicious.
Someone raised the alarm.
Security officers and local residents moved in.
The three were eventually cornered and arrested in the surrounding area.
THE SH60 MILLION MANHUNT
Their escape had triggered a massive national security operation.
Authorities had announced a KSh60 million reward — KSh20 million for information leading to the capture of each man.
Yet the final breakthrough came after ordinary residents reported seeing the fugitives.
The three were flown back to Nairobi by police helicopter on 18 November 2021, under heavy security.
A journey that had begun behind the walls of Kamiti had ended in the bushes of Kitui.
FIVE YEARS LATER, THE STORY WAS STILL NOT OVER
The escapees had initially received additional prison terms for escaping lawful custody.
But the case continued for years.
In June 2026, the three were convicted of committing a terrorist act by escaping lawful custody in a manner the court found prejudicial to national security.
Then, on 28 August 2026, Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage sentenced Musharaf Abdala, Mohamed Ali Abikar and Joseph Juma Odhiambo to an additional 15 years each, to be served after their existing sentences, subject to the specific order made in Abdala's case.
So the Kamiti prison break was not simply the story of three prisoners climbing a wall.
It was a carefully prepared escape involving a hole in a prison cell, improvised climbing equipment, allegations of insider assistance, a nationwide manhunt, a KSh60 million bounty, a desperate journey toward Somalia — and finally, ordinary residents in a remote Kitui market who helped bring the fugitives' freedom to an end.
Five years later, the Kamiti jailbreak remains one of Kenya's most extraordinary prison-escape cases.
Three men serving lengthy sentences for terrorism-related offences were locked inside Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, one of Kenya’s most heavily guarded correctional facilities.
Yet, in the darkness between the night of 14 November and the morning of 15 November 2021, they vanished.
What followed was one of Kenya’s most dramatic prison escapes — and the full story would later reveal that this was far more than simply three inmates finding a way over a wall.
THE PLAN BEGAN INSIDE CELL 6
The three escapees were Musharaf Abdalla Akhulunga, Mohamed Ali Abikar and Joseph Juma Odhiambo alias Yusuf.
Abikar was serving a 41-year sentence linked to the 2015 Garissa University terror attack, while the other two were also serving sentences for terrorism-related offences.
According to evidence presented in court, the escape had been carefully planned.
Inside Cell No. 6, Block A, the men created a hole through the wall using metal implements. They then covered the opening with pieces of mattress and other materials to conceal their work.
They also cut blankets into strips and tied them together to create a makeshift rope or ladder that would help them scale the prison walls. Court exhibits included a chisel, razor blades, nails and pieces of blankets and mattresses used in the operation.
But there was an even more disturbing allegation.
One of the escapees, Musharaf, told the court that two wardens who were never charged had supplied some of the materials, including a chisel, razors, paper and soap. He alleged that money had changed hands.
Those allegations were his testimony and should be distinguished from the separate findings against the officers who were ultimately convicted.
THEN CAME THE NIGHT
After waiting for other prisoners to sleep, the three made their move.
They squeezed through the opening, reached the outer section and used their makeshift climbing equipment to scale the wall.
A fourth cellmate, Abdulmajid Yassin, who had a disability, remained behind. He was later charged with allegedly aiding the escape but denied the charge.
The question that immediately shocked the country was simple:
How could three terrorism convicts escape from a maximum-security prison without being stopped?
The answer would eventually emerge in court.
THE INSIDE CONNECTION
In January 2026, a Kenyan court convicted three Kamiti officers — Robert Kipkirui Soi, Kaikai Talengo Moses and Willy Wambua — over their roles in the episode.
The court found Soi and Talengo guilty of neglecting their official duties, while Wambua was found to have played a more direct role, including facilitating the movement of prisoners and organising a meeting involving terror convicts.
The magistrate said the escape was well planned and must have taken considerable time to execute. Prosecutors called 14 witnesses in the case.
The convictions transformed the story from a simple jailbreak into a case involving serious failures and proven insider assistance within the prison system.
THE GREAT ESCAPE TO KITUI
Once outside Kamiti, the fugitives began a desperate journey south-east.
Reports indicate they travelled through Machakos and into Kitui, using private and public transport before continuing on foot.
Their apparent destination was Boni Forest and eventually the Somalia border.
But the escape plan began falling apart.
They were hungry.
They were thirsty.
And they were increasingly lost.
On 18 November 2021, just three days after the escape, the three appeared at Malalani market in Endau, Mwingi East, Kitui County.
They bought milk, bottled water and biscuits.
Then they made a mistake that would end the four-day manhunt.
They began asking locals for directions towards Garissa and the Boni Forest.
People became suspicious.
Someone raised the alarm.
Security officers and local residents moved in.
The three were eventually cornered and arrested in the surrounding area.
THE SH60 MILLION MANHUNT
Their escape had triggered a massive national security operation.
Authorities had announced a KSh60 million reward — KSh20 million for information leading to the capture of each man.
Yet the final breakthrough came after ordinary residents reported seeing the fugitives.
The three were flown back to Nairobi by police helicopter on 18 November 2021, under heavy security.
A journey that had begun behind the walls of Kamiti had ended in the bushes of Kitui.
FIVE YEARS LATER, THE STORY WAS STILL NOT OVER
The escapees had initially received additional prison terms for escaping lawful custody.
But the case continued for years.
In June 2026, the three were convicted of committing a terrorist act by escaping lawful custody in a manner the court found prejudicial to national security.
Then, on 28 August 2026, Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage sentenced Musharaf Abdala, Mohamed Ali Abikar and Joseph Juma Odhiambo to an additional 15 years each, to be served after their existing sentences, subject to the specific order made in Abdala's case.
So the Kamiti prison break was not simply the story of three prisoners climbing a wall.
It was a carefully prepared escape involving a hole in a prison cell, improvised climbing equipment, allegations of insider assistance, a nationwide manhunt, a KSh60 million bounty, a desperate journey toward Somalia — and finally, ordinary residents in a remote Kitui market who helped bring the fugitives' freedom to an end.
Five years later, the Kamiti jailbreak remains one of Kenya's most extraordinary prison-escape cases.