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| The bodies retrieved from dumpsite in Kware, Nairobi county |
Police announced Monday they had made a breakthrough in the probe into the killing of some of the people whose bodies had been recovered from a dump site in Kware, Mukuru slums, Nairobi.
The Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin is Monday July 15 morning scheduled to hold a press conference on the latest developments in the saga.
The suspect was arrested Monday morning in Kayole where he was hiding, officials said.
He however stays about 500 meters from the Kware dumpsite where at least ten badly mutilated bodies of women have been recovered in an operation.
According to police, the suspect had confessed to the serial killings.
One officer described him as a psychopath.
He was trailed to a house in Kayole where officials said he was again trying to lure a victim.
Sources said a raid on the suspect’s house led to the recovery of ten mobile phones, seven identity cards, ten sim cards, a panga, gloves, and several sacks similar to those found with bodies at the dump site and ropes.
“We believe we have a key and prime suspect in the murder of people whose bodies have been found dumped in the Kware area,” said one officer aware of the issue.
The detectives from DCI headquarters in the operation also trailed money withdrawn from the latest victims of the murder.
Police termed the developments a breakthrough in the probe that had threatened the government amid claims of extrajudicial killings.
A mobile phone belonging to one of the victims so far identified –Josephine Owino- was recovered from the suspect in custody.
So far two women including Josephine have been identified.
Josephine went missing on June 26 while the second victim went missing on June 28.
Josephine’s sister said she received a call from a man who told her he was with the victim.
She did not go back home. Her body was found stuffed in a sack at the dump site.
The process of identifying the other victims is ongoing.
An autopsy is planned on the bodies at the City Mortuary on Monday, July 15 even as teams go on with the search of the decapitated bodies at the dump site.
Detectives were pursuing three main theories for the discovery of the bodies.
Amin said as of Sunday, the bodies that had been recovered and preserved at the City Mortuary and all females aged 18 to 30.
Whereas some of the body parts stuffed in bags were thought to be of humans, police later discovered were dogs’ carcasses.
Amin noted that the bodies were at different levels of decomposition but victims suffered equal fate.
“The modus operandi was almost the same. If you look at the age, it was between 18-30. These are all female. If you look at how the bodies have been disguised and packaged – all the same,” Amin said.
He added the bodies were dumped at a similar spot at the dump site.
The DCI director further argued that there are various theories they are following in the issue.
“Are we dealing with a cult that is associated with criminal activities? Are we dealing with serial killers that are also associated with criminal activities? Or even, could we be dealing with rogue medical practitioners who are dealing with criminal activities? All these are hypotheses we have tried to bring on board.”
by CYRUS OMBATI