Kenya’s police, already under intense scrutiny for their handling of recent protests, are facing a new crisis following the horrifying discovery of eight mutilated female bodies in a Nairobi garbage site. The bodies, discovered in plastic bags amidst a sea of trash in an abandoned quarry in the Mukuru slum, have sent shockwaves across the nation, prompting calls for a thorough and transparent investigation.
Police chiefs have pledged to investigate possible links to cults, serial killers, or rogue medical practitioners. Acting national police chief Douglas Kanja, appointed just days ago amid the fallout over the protest deaths, described the discovery as a “heinous act” and assured the public that a “transparent, thorough and swift” investigation would be conducted, aiming to conclude within 21 days.
The discovery has further strained relations between the public and police, who are accused of using excessive force during last month’s anti-government protests, which saw dozens of demonstrators killed. The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) is investigating whether there was any police involvement in the dumping of the bodies, given the proximity of the site to a police station. The IPOA is also probing claims of abductions of protesters who went missing after the demonstrations, though no connection has been made between those missing and the discovered bodies.
The investigation comes amid a backdrop of already strained trust in law enforcement. Kenya was left reeling last year after the discovery of mass graves containing the bodies of more than 400 members of a doomsday cult in a forest near the Indian Ocean coast. On Monday, self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie went on trial on terrorism charges, alongside 94 co-defendants, accused of inciting his followers to starve themselves to death. He and the other accused also face charges of murder, manslaughter, and child cruelty in separate cases related to what has become known as the “Shakahola forest massacre.”
The current investigation into the mutilated bodies in Nairobi will be closely watched, not only for its potential to uncover the truth behind the murders but also for its impact on public trust in the police force, which has been accused of rampant brutality and impunity in the past. The pressure is on the authorities to deliver justice and ensure that those responsible for this horrific act are brought to account.
