At least eight female bodies, aged between 18 and 30, have been recovered so far from a dumpsite in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums in Nairobi.
This is according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin who said police are pursuing possible links to cults, serial killers or rogue medical practitioners.
“Homicide detectives were able to access the crime scene and we were able to recover a total of eight bodies. Their age is between 18-30. All are female,” he said in a press conference alongside acting Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and Nairobi region police Commander Adamson Bungei, among other top security officers.
“Are we dealing with a cult, serial killers and rogue medical practitioners? All these are hypotheses that as investigators we are trying to bring on board. We have deployed our best investigators,” he said.
The bodies, which were mutilated and dismembered, were found wrapped in plastic bags and disposed of in a rubbish tip on Friday and Saturday. Efforts to search for more bodies are still ongoing.
Kanja urged the public to cooperate with the authorities to help bring the perpetrators to justice.
"We are seeking the community's support to apprehend those responsible for these heinous acts," he said.
At the same time, Kanja revealed officers from Kware police station had been moved, adding decision aims to ensure fair and unbiased investigations.
"To ensure unbiased investigations, I have relocated the officers from Kware Police Station," he added.
"We stand with the community and are dedicated to uncovering the truth and bringing those responsible to justice."
In a statement Friday, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Renson Igonga gave police 21 days to submit a report on the same, further underscoring the gravity of the situation owing to the crime scene's close proximity to the said police precinct.
"The ODPP is deeply concerned with these reports which point to a grave violation of human rights considering that the said dumpsite is only a few metres away from the police station,” said Igonga adding, “Pursuant to Article 154 (4) of the constitution the DPP has directed that the Office of the Inspector General of the National Police Service conduct a thorough investigation and forward the resultant file for perusal within 21 days."
The DPP further urged the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to expedite investigations on all reports of enforced disappearance and deaths allegedly committed by police officers and consistently submit reports to the ODPP for review after every seven days.
