Residents say Mukuru quarry has been dumping site for bodies

Police loaded a sack containing the body of an unidentified person into a vehicle on July 14, 2024, after recovery. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

Before the news of the recovery of bodies from Kware dumpsite in Embakasi South constituency, Nairobi, residents say the place has been a dumping site for bodies.

This is despite Kware Police Station being a stone throw away.

Residents said people have also been dying by suicide by jumping into the quarry.

“There are those who are killed and dumped there by criminals but there are also some who just commit suicide by jumping there,” said Eric Ambuche, founder of Slum Outreach Programme, a non-governmental organisation based in Mukuru kwa Njenga slums.

A senior police officer attached to a police station within the constituency who requested anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the media, said that last year, they retrieved several bodies from the quarry.

“This was after we were informed by residents that they have seen bodies floating on the water. The solution to avoid such future incidents is just to close the quarry by filling it with soil,” he said.

Initially, investor Bimji Ramji, who owns a construction company, Kenya Builders & Concrete Co. Ltd used to carry out activities at the quarry.

Due to the quarrying effects, which this writer covered in 2015, including dust and cracks on nearby houses due to explosions, residents complained to the relevant authorities and he was ordered to stopped extracting.

“He was to ensure the quarry is covered to avoid being used for the wrong purposes like the ones that have been going on but he didn’t do that and we blame him for such incidents,” said Ambuche.

Ambuche, together with other activists who have been pushing for the closure of the quarrying activities, filling and fencing of the quarry blamed the Nairobi county government for failing to act.

“We have raised this issue with Governor Johnson Sakaja several times for the quarry to be filled with soil and fenced and including recently before El Nino but it has not happened until we now come to see this horrific development," he said.

“Our desire has been that the quarry is filled with soil that is dug from construction sites and not lorries that come to dump garbage there,” he added.

The writer recently visited Kware where residents were affected by floods after water filled the quarry and started flowing downstream in Kimondo area.

The quarry is located near Nairobi River and has been accumulating rainwater flowing from Pipeline estate, Imara Daima, Honey Suckle among others.