PRISON BREAK
THE GREAT ESCAPE FROM MUKOBEKO MAXIMUM PRISON BY ROY MUDENDA
By Phillip Chirwa
July 1, 1973 promised to be an ordinary day at Kabwe’s Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison, but the stillness of day that hung over the prison was suddenly broken when three inmates staged one of the most dramatic escapes in Zambia’s history.
Never before had any gang of criminals been so daring as to break through the huge, well secured gates of this prison facility, but that day it happened and when it did, there was left behind a trail of blood and a stunned nation.
The man at the center of this was then, Zambia’s most notorious criminal, Roy Mudenda and two Zairean (Congolese) accomplices, Alexander Kabongo and Denionne Kamunga. At the time of the escape, Mudenda was serving a 20 year prison sentence for aggravated robbery. His two accomplices were serving 13 and 20 years respectively for similar offences.
While working inside the prison under the supervision of prison warder Ackson Chingobe, the trio suddenly turned on the warder and stabbed him in the left pelvis, rendering him unconscious.Another prison warder who heard the scuffle and came to the aid of Mr Chingobe found the convicts struggling to unlock the prison’s main gate, tried to overpower one of the convicts but was shot in his left arm. Outside the prison gate, the three killers found a prison Land-Rover with a driver inside and ordered him out at gunpoint. They seized the vehicle at gun point and drove off. 32kms on the Ndola Road where police had mounted a routine road block, the bandits forced their way past a policeman who later gave chase in a private car and overtook them. When the bandits spotted the policemen, they panicked and the Land-rover overturned but they fled into the bush still armed.
Nothing was heard of the fugitives until July 5 when it was reported that they had attacked a Kapiri Mponshi couple and robbed them of over K100 (a substantial amount of money in those days) and some clothes.
Central Division police chief, Mr John Chongo dispatched more police reinforcements to Kapiri and surrounding areas to help search for the fugitives. Mr Chongo also requested for paramilitary platoons from Lusaka to help in the search of the criminals.
Two of the bandits, Kabongo and Kamunga were eventually cornered the following day near the house they had robbed. When President Kaunda heard of the news of the capture of the two Zairean bandits, he congratulated and highly commended the police chief, paramilitary and other units for their devotion and efficiency. However, Roy Mudenda who plied his trade by engaging in armed robbery, burglary, murder, and rape of women was still at large. Over time, Roy Mudenda had “James Bond” type skirmishes with Police and indeed managed to evade arrest on several occasions.
When he was finally nabbed, he was tried and sentenced to death by hanging. He was hanged at Mukobeko Maximum Prison.The nation breathed a sigh of relief at the announcement his death. At least for that period!