On Sunday evening, Stanely Cheruiyot walked into the Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital accompanied by prison warders.

The inmate, serving life sentence for defilement at the Nakuru GK prison had come in for a surgery scheduled for Monday morning (today).

Cheruiyot had a dislocated elbow. This surgery was meant to help align his elbow and ease the pain that must come from such an injury.

However, the 29-year-old had another plan. An escape plan.

At around 2.30 am on Monday, Cheruiyot escaped from his ward, over the fence behind the ward that is next to KMTC, into the darkness.

The only trace of his existence at the hospital are handcuffs that were placed on his hands, now left on the bed he occupied in the orthopaedic ward.

Dr James Waweru medical superintendent at Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

Narrating this bizarre incident, the hospital’s medical superintended Dr James Waweru says Cheruiyot left with the cuffs on his legs.

“We got to learn of the escape at 4.am today. As required, we alerted the relevant authorities,” said the hospital head.

He adds that the inmate was accompanied by a warder as is custom.

Mtaa Wangu has learnt that Cheruiyot hails from Kuresoi South sub county and is suspected to be heading back home.

Sources privy to the investigation say that police are tracking a phone in his possession, “which he keeps switching on and off.”

At the hospital, a group of prison warders milled around.

A group of prison wardens share a light moment with the security persons at Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital on June3, 2024.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

Mtaa Wangu can independently confirm that security of prisoners to the hospital has been heightened as each convict is now accompanied by two warders instead of one.

Despite numerous calls to the prison regional leadership, none wanted to comment on the matter.

At the Nakuru GK prison, officers at the gate were sceptical of media presence.

On his part, the county Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi says police are in hot pursuit of the convict and are optimistic they will bring him to book.

This comes only four months after a murder suspect escaped while receiving treatment at the same medical facility in February this year.

Escape from hospital: Inmate serving life sentence for defilement goes missing

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Reitz Mureithi