Kahawa Law Courts, on Monday, slapped the three convicts who escaped from Kamiti Maximum Security Prison with additional 15 months in jail.
The convicts; Mohammed Abikar, Musharaf Abdalla and Joseph Odhiambo, escaped from the prison on November 15 but were recaptured three days later in Kitui.
Appearing before the court, the three pleaded guilty to escaping lawful custody but denied committing terror acts alongside their fellow inmate Abdulmajid Yassin who was charged with aiding their escape.
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The state had asked Senior Magistrate Diana Muchache to jail the trio for a maximum of two years for escaping that prison and instilling fear among Kenyans after breaking out of Kamitu.
The Magistrate, however, declined the request and instead sentenced them to a lesser period. The court noted that the convicts had confessed their crime hence reducing the burden of proof for the prosecution and as a result saving the court's time.
“Because the accused persons are remorseful and have saved this court’s time, the court will not sentence them to the maximum sentence prescribed, and accordingly proceeds to sentence each accused persons to 15 months’ imprisonment," Muchache ruled.
During the hearing, one of the convicts, Abdalla, narrated to the court how they escaped from Kamiti revealing that they dug a hole in the prison's wall using a chisel.
The prosecution team also presented various items including a makeshift ladder, ropes, a hook, pieces of mattresses, and two nails among other things that the accused used for their escape.
Abdalla also asked the court not to send him back to Kamiti, noting that they are likely to be victimized by some of the officers at the prison.
"I beg the court not to send us back to Kamiti because I know there are some officers who helped us escape have not been arrested and they are likely to harm us," he pleaded.
