The breakout was detected when officers conducted their regular morning check of the police station cells around 5 a.m., during which they typically serve breakfast to the detainees.

Kenyan police initiated a significant manhunt on Tuesday following the escape of Collins Jumaisi, a 33-year-old man accused of confessing to the murder and dismemberment of 42 women. The escape occurred from a Nairobi police cell, along with twelve other detainees. Jumaisi, described by authorities as a "vampire" and "psychopath," had been arrested after mutilated bodies were discovered in a slum garbage dump last month.

Resila Onyango, spokesperson for the Kenya police, informed AFP that investigations are underway, and a large-scale security operation has been launched to apprehend the 13 suspects. The breakout was detected during a routine morning check when officers found that the prisoners had escaped by cutting through the wire mesh in the basking bay area of the police station.

Among the escapees were Jumaisi and twelve individuals identified as Eritrean nationals detained for illegal immigration. The incident took place at a police station located in Nairobi's Gigiri district, known for housing the UN regional headquarters and numerous embassies. This marks the second such escape from custody in recent months, following another high-profile case earlier this year.

Jumaisi had recently appeared in court, where a magistrate had ordered his detention for an additional 30 days to facilitate ongoing police investigations. His arrest followed the grim discovery of ten mutilated female bodies in plastic bags at an abandoned quarry in the Mukuru slum, as reported by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) last month.

The shocking findings have drawn renewed scrutiny to Kenya's law enforcement, particularly given the proximity of the dumpsite to a police station. Concerns about extrajudicial killings prompted independent investigations by both KNCHR and Kenya's Independent Police Oversight Authority. The police force has faced accusations of misconduct and impunity in the past, allegations that continue to be a subject of national and international concern.