Kenya prison chief sacked after Islamist inmates escape

The head of Kenya's prison service has been sacked days after three inmates serving time for terror-related offences allegedly escaped from a maximum security prison.

In a statement President Uhuru Kenyatta said Wycliffe Ogalo would be replaced with immediate effect "to entrench accountability in the ranks of the leadership of all security organs".

Mr Kenyatta also directed security agencies to use "all available resources" to pursue the escapees.

The fugitives include Mohamed Ali Abikar, who was convicted for his role in the 2015 Garissa University attack in which 148 people were killed.

The second man was arrested in 2012 over a foiled attack on the Kenyan parliament and the third for trying to join the al-Shabab militant group in Somalia.

The authorities have also made an appeal to the public, offering 20m Kenya shillings ($178,000; £132,000) for information about the three escapees.

This article originally appeared in BBC News.

Photo: Mohamed Ali Abikar