NAIROBI — A convicted robber serving a 20-year sentence escaped from Kibera Law Courts on Wednesday in full view of security officers, sparking an urgent manhunt across Nairobi. The inmate, identified as Alex Kibisu, broke free around midday while awaiting a sentencing hearing in a fresh robbery case. Witnesses and court officials confirmed that Alex Kibisu leaped over a rear perimeter wall behind the court’s holding cells still in handcuffs and vanished.
Alex Kibisu was transferred from Kamiti Maximum Security Prison to Kibera Law Courts for a hearing related to a 2023 armed robbery in Lang’ata. He is accused of shooting and injuring a man, Duncan Shiemi, during the attack. Despite being under escort by armed prison officers, Alex Kibisu managed to bypass multiple layers of security, including the prisoner handling unit and court holding cells.
Police believe Alex Kibisu escaped through the rear of the court compound, which borders the densely populated Kibera slums. Locals said the wall leads directly into an area packed with alleyways, making pursuit difficult. Officers from the Prisons Service and local police are combing the neighborhood in search of the fugitive. “We suspect he used the informal settlement’s layout to conceal his movement,” a senior officer familiar with the search said.
As of Wednesday evening, Alex Kibisu remains at large, and the Prisons Department has not released an official statement.
Alex Kibisu was convicted in 2023 for robbery with violence and sentenced to death. After appealing, the court substituted the sentence with 20 years’ imprisonment on each count, to be served concurrently from December 11, 2023. He was facing a second robbery with violence charge when he escaped from Courtroom 3 during a scheduled appearance.
Authorities are now questioning the officers who escorted Alex Kibisu from Kamiti to determine whether negligence or complicity played a role in the escape. The incident has triggered public concern and raised questions about the effectiveness of security procedures in one of Nairobi’s busiest law courts.
“How could a handcuffed convict scale a secure perimeter unnoticed?” court official asked.
Investigators are also reviewing whether there was inside help, and how such a serious security breach occurred without immediate intervention. The case is expected to trigger a formal inquiry from the Prisons Service and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
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