Nairobi — Mr Tom Cholmondeley was on Friday freed from jail after serving five and a half months of his eight months sentence.

Prison authorities said they released him after serving two thirds of his sentence under normal remission for good behaviour.

Friday's release of the Lord Delamere heir was a closely guarded secret among the authorities, a contrast to the live coverage of his conviction for killing mason Robert Njoya.

He was driven out of Kamiti Maximum Security Prison shortly after dawn to an undisclosed location.

His lawyer, Mr Fred Ojiambo, who was in court at the time of the release, said Mr Cholmondeley was received by his family at his Naivasha home.

Mr Cholmondeley was on May 14 sentenced to eight months in prison, after a three-year trial during which he spent time at the prison.

Mr Njoya's widow, Sarah Waithera, expressed shock on receiving news that the man who caused the death of her husband had been released.

Speaking at the Nakuru Wholesale Market where she sells groceries, Ms Njoya said she thought Mr Cholmondeley would serve his full sentence.

Commissioner of Prisons Isaiah Osugo told the Saturday Nation that Mr Cholmondeley "has served his term, his conviction is scheduled to end today (Friday)".

His release threw journalists into confusion in their attempts to look for the Naivasha rancher. Security guards manning the Lord Delamere property in Naivasha were on high alert.

Visitors were restricted from accessing the ranch by being subjected to thorough scrutiny. The guards consulted security manager Jeff Mitto to enquire whether the visitors should be allowed into the farm.

Turn of events

The Saturday Nation crew was also informed by other sources that Mr Cholmondeley had been taken to his girlfriend's Karen residence.

And in Naivasha, some of his neighbours were reluctant to welcome him.

"We were not prepared to hear that he would be back home soon. The news is surprising," said a neighbour.

Mr Njoya's friends were lost for words at the new turn of events.

"We have not had peace since our friend died and todate anyone trying to access the Delamere property is harassed," said Mr John Njuguna.

The Saturday Nation crew tried to catch up with Mr Cholmondeley at Karen suburbs.

Our team found a van belonging to a private security firm parked across the road leading to the house of Ms Sally Dudmesh where Mr Cholmondeley was said to be resting.

The security guards, however, maintained that neither Ms Dudmesh nor the freed convict were at the residence. Instead, they directed us to catch up with Ms Dudmesh at her jewellery shop at Karen shopping centre, a kilometre away.

At the jewellery shop, our crew only met the attendant, a Ms Rose Pawe, who said Ms Dudmesh was not in.

"She does not operate from here, she only passes by to make deliveries," she told us, advising that we check at her residence.

Back at the residence, the Saturday Nation team found the van belonging to the security firm still parked in the same position. When we requested to be allowed to drive to Ms Dudmesh's residence, the three guards suddenly turned hostile.

They insisted that she was not home and threatened to arrest our team for trespass.

They became angrier when they noticed photographer Chris Ojow and the NTV cameraman Steve Mwei taking photographs, at some point threatening to confiscate the cameras.