Striking warders at the Nakuru Prison refused to escort capital offence suspects to the law courts forcing the remandees to riot.

There was a security scare at the prison that holds 2,000 inmates when suspects in remand attempted to escape.

The suspects, who were outside their cells, screamed and banged doors as they attempted to pull down a perimeter fence around one of cells that hold capital offence suspects.

Warders who had converged outside the jail to stage a sit-in ran back inside to arm themselves. Senior officers hurriedly issued firearms and ammunition to the striking warders, ordering them to ensure that no one escaped.

"Sitaki hata mmoja atoweke! (Not a single suspect should escape," shouted a senior officer pleading with the warders to seal off the jail.

They surrounded the jail and fired several times in the air to scare away the agitated inmates demanding to be taken to court.