Police in Mbale are holding eight of their own staff after 13 suspects escaped from lawful custody at Mbale Central Police Station.
The Elgon region police spokesperson, Mr Mansur Sowed said Detective Assistant Inspector of Police Sam Were, Corporal Daphine Mogoya, Corporal Godfrey Oyese, PC Sowaya Mukite, PC Albriko Akora, PC Robinson Lagony, PC Innocent Kilama and Detective/Police Commander, Agnes Muyama are being detained at Mbale CPS.
Mr Sowed said the officers have also been suspended from duty pending investigations to establish how the suspects managed to escape.
“Yes, we are detaining our police officers who were on duty following the escape of 13 suspects from the police cell we want to know why the officers were caught unaware,” said Mr Sowed.
Although Mr Sowed maintains that the suspects exploited the negligence of police officers on duty, eye witnesses in Mbale believe the police officers should have been given some money to let the suspects out especially those on murder and robbery charges.
“There was no breaking of the cells but the suspects were not there, how? This means that they just opened for them to run away. The police should have got some bribe to let them escape, “said Mr Nathan Nambobi, a resident of Mbale municipality.
While addressing journalists on Thursday morning, Mr Sowed said Police has mounted a search for the suspects to have them rearrested adding that police believes the suspects exploited the negligence of the guards who were on duty to break out of jail.
Meanwhile the mood in Mbale was tense this morning as locals thronged the police station with various inquiries some wanting to know why the suspects were left to escape.
Mr Sowed explained that the officers on duty were unaware of the escape until police commanders who had gone out on night patrol came back to bring other suspects
“On opening the well-locked detention room at CPS, they realised that the 13 suspects were all missing,” added Mr Sowed.
He named the suspects now on the run as John Kibisi, Stephen Wambi, Rogers Wekesa and Malo Siyili who facemurder charges, while Joseph Wandera was arrested for rape and Joseph Nekamba, Vincent Watoolo, Musa Kabugo, Chris Kisibo, Kenneth Muma, Emmanuel Odwale, Sowali Masaba and John Macheri were arrested over robbery.