Mystery Deepens as Handcuffed Convict Escapes from Kibera Law Courts in Broad Daylight

Panic gripped Kibera Law Courts on Wednesday after a handcuffed inmate, Alex Kibisu, mysteriously escaped under the noses of prison guards and court security. His vanishing act has sparked a growing scandal over lapses in Kenya’s judicial escort system.

Kibisu, serving a 20-year sentence for violent robbery, had been brought from Kamiti Prison to answer fresh charges linked to a 2023 armed mugging in Lang’ata. But just before his hearing in Court 3, he slipped from the holding cells, vaulted over the rear perimeter wall—still in handcuffs—and disappeared into the surrounding Kibera slums.

“It happened so fast, even the sentries didn’t believe what they saw,” said one court worker. Locals near the back wall told reporters the escape route leads straight into the informal maze of tin-roofed homes and alleyways, making it nearly impossible to track movement once inside.

The escape took place around midday, prompting an immediate manhunt. Police from Kamiti and Nairobi region were deployed to the area, pitching makeshift posts inside Kibera. Investigators suspect Kibisu had prior knowledge of the terrain and may have been aided by insiders.

Kibisu had originally been sentenced to death for multiple violent robberies, but the sentence was reduced to 20 years on appeal, starting December 11, 2023. He was appearing on a new robbery charge when he escaped.

Court officials and prison authorities have remained tight-lipped, issuing no formal statement even 24 hours after the incident. Meanwhile, the officers who escorted Kibisu are under questioning, with preliminary findings suggesting serious procedural gaps.

Questions persist: How did a high-risk inmate bypass four layers of security? Was this an inside job? And most importantly—where is Alex Kibisu now? The silence from authorities only deepens the mystery.