Concerns over dumping of bodies in Central Kenya

Police retrieve the body of an unidentified man found in Kabiruini Forest, Nyeri County, yesterday. Eleven people have been killed in Central region in the past one month. [PHOTO: MOSE SAMMY/STANDARD]

NAIROBI: Residents of Central Kenya have been baffled by a wave of mysterious deaths in the region.

In the last three weeks, 13 decomposing bodies without identification have been discovered in different places.

The residents are now a worried lot, as it is not clear if it is 'ordinary crime' or people are being killed elsewhere and their bodies dumped in the region.

Nyeri County is the hardest hit with nine bodies being found dumped in bushes in the last two weeks.

In Murang'a, four bodies were found dumped, and their identity remains unknown.

The incidents have even left the authorities baffled with Regional Police Commander Larry Kieng, saying detectives are on the ground trying to unravel the deaths.

In the latest incident reported on Monday evening, a herder stumbled onto three bodies inside Kabiruini Forest, a few kilometres from Nyeri town.

While two bodies bore injuries inflicted by blunt objects at the back of their heads, the third had no injury marks and was discovered four kilometres away from the others.

Police were able to identify one of the two bodies, which were found together, from a National Youth Service (NYS) recruitment identity card retrieved from one of the dead men's pockets.

Nyeri OCPD Charles Rotich suspected foul play in the murders even as he ruled out any connection between the first two and the third.

Mr Rotich said although the investigations were still ongoing, the third body may not be related to the first two.

According to Patrick Mwariri, a village elder and a co-ordinator of the Nyumba Kumi initiative, the dead could have been killed a few hours earlier, as there was fresh blood oozing from the bodies.

"There was blood on the road, which dried not so long ago. It seems they were pulled from the road into the bush," said Mwai Githinji, a resident.

The bodies were taken to Nyeri County Referral Hospital mortuary as police sought to find their relatives.

Nyeri County Police Commander Eunice Kihiko said while the trend was worrying, police were carrying out through investigations.

"Majority of the victims are not from Nyeri County. It would seem they were murdered elsewhere and dumped here," Kihiko explained.

She said the county was probably being targeted because it has high forest cover for easy disposing of the killed.

Mr Kieng said police were working around the clock to identify the bodies of the deceased and track their whereabouts prior to their deaths.

"We are investigating the incidents and so far, there have been several promising leads. However, no arrests have been made so far in connection with the deaths," Kieng said.

He noted that while the trend was worrying, there was no evidence that there was any connection between the killings.

UNRESOLVED DEATH

On September 1, the body of a police officer was discovered on a farm near Honi River.

According to Kieng, the officer was based in Baringo County but had been working in Nyeri before he was transferred.

"The officer had requested for some time off to go to his home in western Kenya but we are now investigating to find out who he was communicating with and how he ended up in Nyeri town," Kieng said.

He further explained that there was no connection between the the officer and a couple discovered in a dam four days after the officer's killing.

On September 5, the bodies of man and woman were found floating in Ithenguri Dam in Tetu constituency. The two were identified as Lydia Wangechi and Andrew Matu.

Last Thursday, a body of a male was discovered in a thicket in Gitandara village near Othaya town, while two other bodies of minors were discovered in Kimahuri.

"We have since established that the two were not married, and we are investigating to establish where they were the night before and what could have been the motive of their murder," Kieng noted.

He said investigators were working to solve the murders of all the victims adding that the process would though take sometime.

"Investigations take time, and we are keen to ensure we arrest the right culprits. We, therefore, need to give the detectives time to complete their queries," Kieng explained.

He insisted that there was no possibility of police involvement in the deaths of the four who were discovered in Muranga County.