Shock after six bodies retrieved from dumpsite, all were female

Crowd at Kware dumpsite where 10 bodies were retrieved on July 12, 2024. [Francis Ontomwa, Standard]

At least six bodies were on Friday retrieved from Kware dumpsite in Embakasi’s Mukuru Kwa Njenga area in Nairobi.

By last evening, it was feared that more bodies could still be inside the expansive quarry in Villa area, even as search efforts continued.

In a statement released yesterday, Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin said the bodies were severely mutilated and in various stages of decomposition.

“The bodies were wrapped in nylon papers and reinforced with nylon ropes. The grim discovery was made at an abandoned quarry, currently filled with water and used as a dumpsite,” said Amin.

He noted that preliminary investigations pointed to a similar mode of killing for the deceased, adding that Homicide detectives and officers from the Forensics Division of the DCI are currently analysing samples to identify the bodies.

At the scene, The Standard witnessed the retrieval of two bodies, establishing that most of them had been dismembered.

Residents said that only one of the bodies earlier retrieved had its full body parts intact. 

“Some of the bodies are decomposed, and one was still fresh with signs of blood coming out from the wounds,” said Million Nyamwita, a resident of Mukuru kwa Njenga, noting that all the bodies were female.

Denis Njogu, another resident who participated in retrieving the bodies said they were alerted by an individual whose sister went missing during anti-government protests.

The person, Njogu said, suspected the kin’s body may have been dumped in the area.

“There’s a lady who reported to Kware police station claiming that she had dreamt that her missing sister may have been dumped in there,” he said.

“It is really traumatising to witness this. It is the first time we are seeing such an inhumane act meted. We have been here since childhood but I have never encountered this,” said Aggrey Odhiambo. 

The bodies were moved to the City mortuary in Nairobi awaiting postmortem examination.

Nyamwita, who is also a human rights activist at Mukuru Community Justice Centre said the organisation has received several reports of missing persons, a trend she termed as worrying. 

“We received complaints as youths are being threatened. We are tired. At this rate we are vulnerable and no longer feel safe,” said Nyamwita.

She called on the government to bring to book the perpetrators of the heinous acts. “Let the government take up this matter and deliver justice to these souls,” she said.

Haki Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid also joined the locals in condemning the horrific incident, terming it as excruciating. 

“We want to see action taken with immediate effect,” he stated. 

The human rights defender also criticised the area police for laxity in providing security to the public. 

“Kware police station is barely a kilometre away from this scene yet bodies are being dumped near them. These are questions we should ask authorities,” he said. 

These cases of mysterious deaths comes at a time when the country is still mourning more than 40 protestors killed in anti-government demonstrations countrywide.