Mukuru dumpsite: Kenyan police relocated after body parts discovered

Kenya’s acting inspector general of police said officers had been moved from a police station near a rubbish dump where dismembered body parts were found.

Douglas Kanga Kirocho said on Sunday that eight bodies of women had been recovered so far from the scene of the incident in the capital, Nairobi.

Kenya’s police watchdog earlier said it was investigating whether police were involved in the horrific deaths, which come amid allegations of widespread human rights abuses by officers during recent anti-government protests.

Kirosho said officers from Kwara police station had been redeployed to ensure “fair and unbiased investigations” into the “horrific” deaths.

Investigators have been combing the site in the Mukuru neighbourhood since Friday, when the bodies of six women were found in bags floating in a sea of ​​rubbish.

On Saturday, five other bags containing body parts were found.

Initial reports indicate that the bodies were in varying stages of decomposition, and that the ages of the deceased ranged between 18 and 30 years.

Officers said some of the bags contained severed legs and torsos, suggesting the deaths could be linked to the activities of cultists or serial killers.

But the Independent Police Oversight Authority said: “There are widespread allegations of police involvement in unlawful arrests. [and] “Abductions” means that they are conducting a preliminary investigation to determine if there is any connection to the police.

Police have also been accused of abducting or arbitrarily arresting hundreds of people during the protests.

Responding to the bodies found in Mukuru, the Independent Police Oversight Authority said: “The bodies were wrapped in bags and secured with nylon ropes, bearing clear signs of torture and mutilation.”

The authority also noted that the dump site was less than 100 metres from the Kwari Police Station.

Contrary to the police report, the Independent Police Oversight Authority said nine dismembered bodies were found at the Mukuru dumpsite – seven females and two males.

Kirosho said police were working to complete their investigation into the deaths “within 21 days.”

The bodies are being kept at a funeral home in Nairobi, awaiting post-mortem examinations.

Local media reported that police deployed water cannons to the scene on Saturday after angry protesters threatened to open bags filled with human remains.

Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department urged people to remain calm and give them space to investigate the findings, accusing protesters of obstructing their investigations.

The horrific discovery has put pressure on President William Ruto, who has vowed to punish those responsible for the killings.

“We are a democratic state guided by the rule of law. Those involved in the mysterious killings in Nairobi and any other part of the country will be held accountable,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

This is the latest disturbing incident of its kind in Kenya.

Last year, the country was horrified after the remains of hundreds of people linked to a doomsday cult were discovered in the Indian Ocean coastal town of Malindi.

Paul Nothing McKenzie’s trial began in Mombasa earlier this week on charges of terrorism and murder over the deaths of more than 440 of his followers. McKenzie denies the charges.

He allegedly encouraged men, women and children to starve themselves in order to “meet Jesus”, in one of the world’s worst cult-related massacres.