By Kwanta Douglas –
Officers from the Kenya Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) arrested the outgoing prisons commander Wycliffe Ogallo, Kamiti Maximum Prison head Charles Mutembei, and his deputy yesterday.
The arrests came mere hours after President Kenyatta fired Gen Ogallo and replaced him with Brigadier (rtd) John Warioba, and just two days after three terror suspects escaped from the Kamiti jailbreak.
On Monday, they managed to flee the country’s most guarded prison, prompting questions about how they did it.
Following the arrest, Gen Ogallo, Mr Mutembei, and his deputy were transferred to the DCI offices.
Brig Warioba, the new prisons chief, said it was too early to comment on the arrests because he had just recently been appointed.
Hours after the arrest, the National Police Service tweeted that Gen Ogallo was not arrested, but only escorted home from his office.
However, his dramatic seizure at Magereza House, along with that of Mr Mutembei and his deputy, was witnessed by journalists and captured on film.
When he attempted to sit at the front of the vehicle, the officers blocked him from doing so and sandwiched him in the back seat before speeding off.
NPS did not clarify why Gen Ogallo was escorted by a heavy security team comprising ATPU officers.