- Three terror convicts who escaped from Kamiti Maximum Security Prison in 2021 have received additional 15-year jail terms.
- Musharaf Abdala, Mohamed Ali Abikar and Joseph Juma Odhiambo were sentenced at Kahawa Law Courts.
- The trio escaped from the prison in November 2021 before being traced and arrested during a nationwide manhunt.
- Abikar and Odhiambo will begin serving the new terms after completing their existing prison sentences.
- Abdala’s new sentence will run from the date he was acquitted in an earlier case.
Three terror convicts behind the dramatic 2021 escape from Kamiti Maximum Security Prison will spend more time behind bars after a court handed them fresh 15-year sentences.
Musharaf Abdala, Mohamed Ali Abikar and Joseph Juma Odhiambo were sentenced on Friday, August 28, 2026, by Kahawa Law Courts Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage. The court had earlier convicted the three of committing a terrorist act under Section 4(1) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2012.
The latest sentences arise from the prison escape that triggered a major security operation across the country. The three men broke out of Kamiti between the night of November 14 and the morning of November 15, 2021. Their disappearance prompted security agencies to launch an extensive search for the convicts.
The prosecution told the court that the escape was followed by a carefully planned journey away from the prison. The suspects reportedly used a motorcycle and public service vehicles while heading towards Kitui. They later travelled by road to Endao before abandoning the vehicles and continuing on foot through informal routes.
The convicts remained on the run as detectives worked to establish their movements and track their location. Their efforts eventually led investigators to the three men. They were arrested, ending a manhunt that had attracted widespread attention across the country.
The escape subsequently became the subject of a criminal case, with prosecutors arguing that the circumstances surrounding their departure from the maximum-security facility amounted to a terrorist act. Their conviction in June 2026 paved the way for the sentencing delivered this week.
The new sentence will have different consequences for each convict because all three had different legal histories before the Kamiti escape. Abikar was already serving a cumulative 41-year prison sentence imposed by the Milimani Law Courts. His earlier conviction was linked to the 2015 Garissa University terror attack, which claimed 148 lives.
The additional 15 years for escaping lawful custody will only begin after Abikar completes his existing 41-year sentence. This means the latest ruling extends the period he is expected to remain in prison beyond the term imposed for his previous offences.
Odhiambo also faces extended imprisonment
Odhiambo was serving a separate 15-year sentence imposed by a court in Mandera before the Kamiti escape. His earlier case involved travelling to a country designated as a terrorist destination, failing to report his departure and leaving Kenya through a non-designated border crossing.
His latest 15-year sentence will similarly take effect once the earlier term has been completed. The ruling therefore effectively adds another substantial period to his imprisonment.
Abdala’s situation is different from that of his two co-accused. He had previously received a 22-year prison sentence, but the High Court later acquitted him after an appeal.
The court directed that the new 15-year sentence arising from the Kamiti escape should run from the date of his acquittal. His imprisonment under the latest conviction will therefore be calculated differently from the terms imposed on Abikar and Odhiambo.
The Kamiti breakout became one of Kenya’s most closely watched prison escape cases after the three terror convicts disappeared from the country’s maximum-security facility. Security agencies mounted operations to locate them, with their movements eventually traced beyond Nairobi.
Their arrest brought the manhunt to an end and allowed prosecutors to pursue the case arising from the escape. The latest ruling now adds another chapter to a case that began with the November 2021 prison breakout.
The three convicts will consequently face additional periods of imprisonment, although the exact impact of the new terms differs because of their previous convictions and the High Court’s earlier decision in Abdala’s case.
