The three terror convicts, who escaped from the Kamiti Maximum Security Prison over the weekend, were on Thursday arrested in a remote village in Kitui County.
The terrorists were cornered by security agents hours after residents reported seeing them in Malalani market in Endau location, some 100 kilometres East of Kitui town, where they bought milk, bottled water and biscuits.
Panic gripped the sleepy shopping centre as shopkeepers, who wanted to arrest the fugitives and cash in on the Sh60 million bounty on their heads, feared that the terrorists were armed.
Malalani borders the Mwingi Game Reserve to the north and South Kitui Game Reserve to the south and has for long been a hideout for terror suspects.
The trio was hiding during the day and trekked under the cover of darkness to avoid being caught.
After the locals informed the police, a massive manhunt was immediately launched with all security agencies in the region including chiefs and their assistants put on high alert to comb the villages and prevent the terrorists from escaping away to hideouts outside the country.
Security sources confided to the Nation that the entire was county was surrounded with officers drawn from the anti-terror police unit, backed up by personnel from the anti-stock theft unit.
Kitui County Police Commander Leah Kithei said the three were arrested in Mwingemi area as they tried to find their way to the Mwingi-Garissa highway.
Residents said they got suspicious when the trio asked for directions connecting to Garissa and Boni Forest in Lamu.
One of the escapees had swollen legs and was limping, a local said.
The terrorists, Musharraf Abdalla Akhulunga alias Zarkarawi, Mohammed Ali Abikar and Joseph Juma Odhiambo alias Yusuf escaped from the country’s most guarded prison on Sunday.
A Sh60 million bounty was placed on their heads for information leading to their arrest.
Musharaf was arrested on September 30, 2012 over his role in a foiled terror attack targeting Parliament Buildings.
He was charged with possession of explosives, ammunition and firearms. He hails from Ekero area in Mumias, Kakamega County.
Mohamed, an Islamist militant who was arrested following his involvement in the April 2, 2015 Garissa University attack, was serving a 41-year sentence.
He had been convicted alongside Hassan Edin Hassan and Tanzania’s Rashid Charles Mberesero, who was sentenced to life but committed suicide in November last year inside Kamiti
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