Kenyan police reported on Sunday that they have found eight female bodies so far at a dumpsite in a Nairobi slum, and are investigating potential connections to cults, serial killers, or unethical medical practitioners. The shocking discovery of mutilated and dismembered bodies, packed in plastic bags and discarded at a garbage dump in Mukuru, a southern district of the Kenyan capital, has caused widespread horror and outrage. Kenya's interim national police chief, Douglas Kanja, stated that the initial six corpses were discovered on Friday, with additional body parts found on Saturday. Preliminary investigations indicate that all victims were female.
Kanja described the bodies as being in various stages of decomposition and severely dismembered, left in sacks. He emphasized the ongoing nature of the investigations and appealed for public assistance to apprehend the perpetrators of these atrocious acts. Amin Mohammed, the head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, revealed that the victims' ages ranged from approximately 18 to 30 and were all killed and mutilated in the same manner. Police are exploring several theories, including the involvement of a criminal cult, serial killers, or rogue medical practitioners.
Kenya was deeply shaken last year by the uncovering of mass graves in a forest near the Indian Ocean coast, containing over 400 bodies of a doomsday sect's members, marking one of the world's worst cult-related massacres. On Monday, self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, along with 94 co-defendants, went on trial on terrorism charges related to the deaths, accused of encouraging his followers to starve themselves to death to meet Jesus. They also face charges of murder, manslaughter, and child cruelty in separate cases linked to the 'Shakahola forest massacre'.
Kanja assured that the police are dedicated to conducting transparent, thorough, and swift investigations into the Mukuru case, with officers from the nearby police station being transferred. Kenya's Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) announced on Friday that it is investigating potential police involvement in the gruesome discoveries. The bodies, secured in bags with nylon ropes, showed clear signs of torture and mutilation, and the dumpsite was located less than 100 meters from a police station. IPOA is also examining claims of abductions of demonstrators who disappeared following last month's widespread anti-government protests that turned violent, although no direct link has been made between these incidents and the dumped bodies.
The country's law enforcement agencies are under intense scrutiny after the protests led to dozens of deaths, with human rights groups accusing officers of excessive force. Kanja assumed his role this week following the resignation of national police chief Japhet Koome amid public outrage over the protest fatalities. Kenya's national rights commission reported earlier this month that a total of 39 people were killed and over 630 injured during the unrest.
