DCI Places Sh1M Reward on Main Suspect Who killed 32 Women in Kware

Collins Jumaisi, a man accused of being behind the gruesome murders of 42 women, has remained at large for over a year after escaping from police custody in Nairobi.

Jumaisi, who hails from Shaviringa in Vihiga County, slipped out of Gigiri Police Station on 20 August 2024 after cutting through the wire mesh at the station’s basking bay. He fled alongside 12 other suspects and has since evaded capture for 13 months.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Monday renewed calls for information on his whereabouts. In a statement shared on X, the agency appealed to the public for credible leads, assuring anonymity for informants. Hotlines and WhatsApp numbers were circulated as part of the new manhunt, which, unlike the first operation, now includes a publicly disclosed cash reward.

Jumaisi faces accusations of killing 42 women, including his wife, whose bodies were discovered at the Kware dumpsite in August 2023. He was arrested shortly after the discovery, and police claimed he confessed to the killings. However, his lawyer, John Ndegwa, dismissed the confession as one extracted under duress.

“My client has been subjected to horrendous mistreatment so that he can confess to issues which are alien to him,” Ndegwa told the court at the time, adding that Jumaisi required urgent medical care.

Days before he was due to appear in court, Jumaisi staged his dramatic escape. Investigators later described the incident as an inside job, leading to the interdiction of eight officers, including the Gigiri Sub-County Commander and the Officer Commanding Station.

The fugitive’s disappearance has prolonged the agony of victims’ families, who continue to wait for justice and closure. The case has also raised renewed concerns about security lapses and accountability within Kenya’s police service.