Police offer Ksh.1M reward in hunt for Kware murder suspect Collins Jumaisi

The National Police Service (NPS) has offered a Ksh.1 million reward for any information regarding the whereabouts of Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, the prime suspect in the Kware massacre, where over 40 women were killed and dumped at the dumpsite. 

Jumaisi escaped police custody alongside 12 suspects on August 20, 2024, after cutting the wire mesh at the basking bay. Thirteen months after the incident, the suspect remains at large.

"The National Police Service hereby pledges a cash reward of Ksh 1 million to anyone who provides credible information that will assist in the re-arrest of the suspect," the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) posted on X.

"Should you know his whereabouts, #FichuaKwaDCI through our toll-free hotline 0800 722 203, or Whatsapp Number 0709 570 000. You can also report to your nearest police station or through the police hotlines 999, 911, or 112. Every piece of information is valuable."

This marks the second time the DCI has issued a cash reward for Jumaisi's arrest, but unlike the previous instance, the reward amount has now been disclosed.

The suspect, who hails from Shaviringa, Vihiga County, was accused of committing mass murders on 42 women, including his wife, following the discovery of bodies at the Kware dumpsite in August last year. 

Following his arrest, Jumaisi confessed to the crimes but later claimed he was tortured to admit to the killings. 

“My client, as he sits there, is in dire need of urgent medical attention…for reasons that the period under detention, he was subjected to molestation, torture and the confession that the public is being treated to having murdered 42 persons is laughable,” his lawyer John Ndegwa previously told the court.

“My client has been subjected to horrendous inhuman mistreatment so that he can confess to issues which are alien to him. I pray that the court directs for urgent medical attention even as they do their investigations."

Days after he awaited to be arraigned for murder, Jumaisi and 12 other suspects fled Gigiri Police Station, in what was described as an inside job. 

As a result, eight police officers were interdicted, among them the Gigiri Sub-County Commander, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), and report officers who were on duty at the time of the incident.