- Detectives in Narok County have opened an investigation after armed men reportedly stopped a police officer’s car and freed a suspect being taken to Nairobi.
- The incident happened at night in Suswa Township along the busy Narok-Mai Mahiu Highway.
- The suspect, Robert Rono, had been arrested in Bomet over allegations of obtaining money by false pretences.
- Police say the officer was transporting the suspect in his private vehicle when the attack occurred.
- A search was launched immediately after the report was made, but the suspect and the two armed men had not been arrested by the time investigations began.
Police in Narok County are investigating a dramatic prisoner escape after gunmen allegedly intercepted a police officer’s vehicle in Suswa Township and freed a suspect who was being transported to Nairobi.
The incident happened on the night of August 1 along the Narok-Mai Mahiu Highway, a major route linking Narok County with Nairobi and other parts of the Rift Valley. Officers from Suswa Police Station responded after receiving a report that armed men had confronted a police officer and helped a prisoner escape.
According to the police report, the suspect was identified as Robert Rono, who had been arrested at Kapkuen Police Station in Bomet County over allegations of obtaining money by false pretences.
Chief Inspector Pius Nduda, the Officer Commanding Station at Kapkuen Police Station, had reportedly booked Rono out of custody earlier that day following a request from detectives in Kibra, Nairobi. The suspect was to be escorted to Kibra Police Station for further processing.
Police records indicate that Nduda handcuffed Rono and placed him in the back seat of his private Subaru vehicle before beginning the journey to Nairobi.
Investigators say the officer encountered trouble after reaching Suswa Township. He reportedly slowed down and stopped behind another vehicle along the highway, and moments later two armed men emerged from the darkness.
The gunmen allegedly confronted the officer, freed the suspect from the vehicle, and fled with him. One of the handcuffs used to restrain the prisoner was later recovered inside the car, suggesting the suspect had been released during the confrontation.
Officers who arrived at the scene immediately launched a search operation in the surrounding area, but no arrests were made.
Narok detectives have since taken over the case and are pursuing several leads to establish the identities and whereabouts of the escaped suspect and the two armed men.
Investigators are also examining whether the attackers had prior information about the transfer. Police are expected to determine how the movement of the prisoner became known and whether the escape was planned in advance.
The case has renewed attention on the security arrangements used when suspects are transported between police stations, especially over long distances.
The Narok-Mai Mahiu Highway is one of the busiest roads connecting Nairobi with Narok and western Kenya. Security agencies have in recent years increased patrols along sections of the route because of concerns over highway crime and attacks on motorists.
Police have urged members of the public with information that could help trace Robert Rono or the armed men to report to the nearest police station.
By Monday evening, the suspect and his alleged accomplices were still at large, and the investigation remained active.
