Kenyan police relocate after body parts found

Kenya’s acting police inspector general said officers had been transferred from a police station near the rubbish dump where the dismembered bodies were found.

Douglas Kanja Kirocho said on Sunday that eight female bodies had been recovered from the scene in the capital, Nairobi, so far.

Kenya’s police watchdog previously announced it was investigating whether police were involved in the tragic death, amid allegations of widespread human rights abuses by police during anti-government protests.

Kirocho said officers from Kwarare police station were redeployed to ensure a “fair and impartial investigation” into the “heinous” death.

Detectives have been combing the scene since the bodies of six women were found in a rubbish dump in the Mukuru slum last Friday.

Five more bags containing body parts were recovered Saturday.

Preliminary reports indicated that the bodies were in varying stages of decomposition and the deceased were between 18 and 30 years old.

Police said some of the bags contained severed legs and torsos, and speculated the deaths could be linked to the activities of cult members or a serial killer.

But the Independent Police Oversight Authority said “widespread allegations of police involvement in unlawful arrests (and) kidnappings” meant it was conducting a preliminary investigation to determine if there was any police connection.

Human rights groups accuse police of opening fire Dozens of demonstrators protest against tax hike plan Some of them died earlier this month.

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

Regarding the bodies found in Mukuru, the Independent Police Oversight Authority said: “The bodies were wrapped in bags and tied with nylon ropes, with obvious signs of torture and mutilation.”

The watchdog also noted that the dump is less than 100 metres from the Kware police station.

The Independent Police Watchdog said that contradicting police reports, nine dismembered bodies – seven women and two men – were found at the Mukuru dump.

Quirocho said police were working to complete the investigation into the death “within 21 days.”

The body is currently being kept at a funeral home in Nairobi awaiting an autopsy.

On Saturday, angry protesters threatened to open bags filled with human remains, and police deployed two water cannons to the scene, local media reported.

Officials from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) urged people to remain calm and give them space to investigate the findings, accusing the protesters of hampering their investigation.

The horrific discovery has heaped pressure on President William Ruto, who has vowed to punish the killers.

He posted on Twitter: “We are a democratic country ruled by law. Those involved in mysterious killings in Nairobi and other parts of the country will be held accountable.”

The case is the latest shocking incident of its kind in Kenya.

Last year, the country was shocked when the remains of hundreds of doomsday cult members were discovered in the Indian Ocean coastal town of Malindi.

Paul Nsenge McKenzie went on trial in Mombasa earlier this week on charges of terrorism and murder that resulted in the deaths of more than 440 of his followers. He denies the charges.

He allegedly encouraged men, women and children to go on hunger strike to “see Jesus” in one of the world’s worst cult massacres.