Kenya police move ahead with investigation into mutilated body

Kenya’s acting inspector general of police said officers at a police station near the landfill where the mutilated body parts were found have been transferred to another location.

Douglas Kanza Kirocho said on Sunday that eight female bodies had been found so far at the scene in the capital, Nairobi.

Kenya’s police watchdog has announced it is investigating whether police were involved in the horrific deaths, amid widespread allegations of human rights abuses by police during recent anti-government protests.

Mr Kirocho said officers were being transferred from Kwara police station to ensure a “fair and impartial investigation” into the “evil” deaths.

Detectives have been searching the Mukuru slum since Friday, where the bodies of six women were found floating in a sea of ​​garbage in sacks.

Five more bags containing body parts were found on Saturday.

Preliminary reports indicate the bodies were in various stages of decomposition and the deceased were aged between 18 and 30.

Police found severed legs and torsos in some of the bags, suggesting the deaths may be linked to the activities of a cult or serial killer.

However, the independent police watchdog said it was carrying out a preliminary investigation to determine whether there was a link to the police because of “widespread allegations of police involvement in unlawful arrests and kidnappings”.

Human rights groups have accused police of opening fire. Dozens of people protest planned tax hike Earlier this month there were several accidents resulting in deaths.

Police are also accused of kidnapping or arbitrarily arresting hundreds of people during the protests.

In response to the discovery of the bodies in Mukuru, the independent police watchdog said: “The bodies, wrapped in bags and secured with nylon ropes, showed clear signs of torture and mutilation.”

The watchdog also pointed out that the landfill is less than 100 metres from the Kwara Police Station.

Contrary to police reports, the independent police watchdog said nine mutilated bodies were found at the Mukuru landfill, seven of them female and two male.

Mr Kirocho said police were working to conclude their investigation into the deaths “within 21 days”.

The body is being kept at a mortuary in Nairobi for an autopsy.

Police deployed two water cannons to the scene on Saturday after angry protesters threatened to open the bags containing the remains, according to local media.

Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) urged people to remain calm and allow space to investigate the findings, and accused protesters of obstructing their investigation.

The horrifying discovery has put pressure on President William Ruto, who has vowed to bring those involved in the killings to justice.

“We are a democratic country governed by the rule of law. Those involved in the mysterious killings in Nairobi and other parts of the country must be held accountable,” he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

This incident is the latest worrying incident to occur in Kenya.

Last year, the discovery of the remains of hundreds of people linked to a doomsday cult in Malindi, a city on the Indian Ocean coast, shocked the nation.

Paul Ntenzi McKenzie was on trial earlier this week in Mombasa on terrorism and murder charges in the deaths of more than 440 of his followers. He denies the allegations.

He was accused of encouraging men, women and children to starve to death in order to meet Jesus, one of the world’s most horrific religious genocides.