Mystery of five bodies found dumped along Sagana State Lodge road

By JOB WERU

Nyeri, Kenya: Panic gripped Maragima village in Kieni, Nyeri County, after five bodies were discovered dumped in Mt Kenya forest, along the Chaka-Sagana State Lodge road.

Police are trying to find out if the victims were killed there or elsewhere and their bodies dumped at the scene. No identification papers were found on them but police recovered some Sh800 dumped beside one of the body.

The bodies of four men and a woman were discovered in a thicket within the expansive Mt Kenya forest, with a bottle of whiskey, miraa twigs and a roll of bhang by their side.

One of the deceased’s bodies also had a live bullet wrapped in a handkerchief, which was in his pocket.

The bodies were discovered by a herder who identified himself only as Salu, who became suspicious after finding four men lying in the thicket. “I suspected that all was not well after I spotted them lying in the thicket. I immediately rushed home where and called my employer. We came back and discovered that they were dead,” said Salu.

The men’s bodies had bullet wounds in the head, with Kieni East OCPD Mr Ancent Kaloki saying they were inflicted by experienced firearm handlers. No spent cartridge was discovered at the scene.

The woman’s body was discovered dangling from a tree, a few metres away. Police said the woman could have been strangled to death, before the body was hanged on the tree.

“After searching the bodies, we found three bus tickets indicating that the deceased persons had travelled from Nairobi to Nyeri on Wednesday, and were enjoying themselves with alcohol prior to the grisly murders, since there was a bottle of whiskey, miraa and bhang by their side,” said Kaloki.

The four bodies with bullet wounds lay facing the ground. Kaloki said preliminary investigations indicated they could have been shot at a close range, and by a professional.

“We could not identify the deceased, since none had identification documents, while the surrounding community says they do not recognise them. We intend to take their fingerprints and take them for forensic analysis to try and get their identities,” said Kaloki.

But a police source said they suspected the deceased may have been executed by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers who mistook them for poachers.

A source who sought anonymity said some KWS rangers laid an ambush at the forest following a tip-off that some poachers were targeting a herd of elephants roaming the forest.