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The escape of 13 suspects at the Gigiri Police station, among them a high-profile detainee, has once again exposed the rot that prevails in Kenya’s police stations.

There are strong indications that suspected Kware killer Collins Jumaisi Khalusha may have been aided to escape from the highly guarded precincts following a falling-out between the officers calls for serious retrospect in activities of rogue elements in the police service.

It is a well-known fact that corruption in police stations is executed with high- ranking officers. Bribery is a means to cope within the elaborate network in the police hierarchy.

It has become an outcome of indoctrination by old-timers. That 13 suspects, among them 12 foreigners who cannot communicate in English and Kiswahili can escape from the highly guarded Gigiri police station that neighbours Indian and United States embassies is mind boggling.

And even if they cut part of the wire mesh to gain their freedom, didn’t any of the officers on duty that night hear anything? And why were the CCTv cameras in the station not functional?

The Gigiri incident has left many Kenyans questioning the integrity of their law enforcement system.

As authorities scramble to recapture the escapees and uncover the full extent of any internal collusion, the case continues to highlight the deep-rooted challenges facing Kenya’s criminal justice system. This is not the first time that the country is experiencing such a daring escape from police cells, and it may not be the last one either.

Almost all the previous cases of suspects escaping from custody have been met with knee-jerk reactions from the authorities, with the officers on duty at the time of the incident being arrested and subsequently charged.

Senior officers under whose jurisdiction the police station falls have also been meted to untold sufferings after being indefinitely interdicted and subjected to unending psychological torture for sins committed by their juniors.

But the authorities have never seen any need to address the root cause of officers either aiding suspects to escape from lawful custody or why they collude with suspected criminals in their escape.

The Gigiri incident should, therefore, be used by the authorities to tackle the rampant corruption within police stations. With money, nothing is impossible at any Kenyan police station.