17 men have escaped from the holding cells at Kyenjojo Police Station.
They escaped early yesterday morning.
Vincent Ekwe, the acting Kyenjojo District Police Commander, says the suspects cut through the iron burglar proofing of a windows using a sharp instrument. He says it appears that some of them climbed on to a jerrycan to hoist themselves up to the broken windows, and then opened the door to the cell from the outside to free the rest of the suspects.
Ekwe says he was shocked when he saw d the cell door was wide open and all the detainees were gone. He says the group was supposed to be transferred to Butiti Sub-County Prison at the beginning of the week, but the station had no money to transport them out.
Elly Maate, spokesperson for the western regional police headquarters, has released the names of some of the most dangerous suspects. They are Simon Muheereza and David Asaba who were arrested for murder. Others are suspected violent sexual offenders, Dickson Twinomugisha, Alex Tinsiime and Julius Mubiru, Sanasio Tibahika.
Maate says the five police officers who were on guard on Monday night have been arrested. They are being investigated on their role in aiding the escape and may be dismissed from the police force.
The arrested officers are Sam Kaija, Joseph Byakagaba, Alex Okoti Alex, Fred Bakanyikara and Abraham Baguma.
Maate appeals to anyone with information on the whereabouts of the suspects to report Maate appeals to the general public to give police information leading to the re-arrest of the said suspects to be produced in court to answer charges against them.
It is the third time this year that criminal suspects have escaped from the Kyenjojo Police Station Cells. The more recent event occurred when the suspects were let out of the cells to use the toilet and ten of them suddenly ran off and disappeared.
