Kenyan police on Monday said they had arrested a “serial killer” suspect who had confessed to murdering 42 women before dumping their dismembered bodies in a rubbish site in Nairobi.
Since Friday, a total of nine mutilated and dismembered bodies trussed in plastic bags have been pulled from the garbage site in the Mukuru slum area in the south of the capital, a gruesome discovery that has horrified the nation.
Acting Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja reported that Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, a 33-year-old prime suspect, was apprehended near a bar at approximately 3:00 AM (0000 GMT) on Monday.
“We are dealing with a serial killer, a psychopathic serial killer who has no respect for human life,” the head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin said.
He informed reporters that the arrest followed a coordinated operation between the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the National Police Service.
“The suspect confessed to have lured, killed and disposed of 42 female bodies at the dumping site,” Amin said, adding that Khalusha claimed the murders took place between 2022 and July 11 this year.
“Unfortunately, and this is very sad, the suspect alleged that his first victim was his wife… who he strangled to death, before dismembering her body and disposing it at the same site,” he said.
According to police on Monday, nine bodies have been recovered from the crime scene so far. On Sunday, police reported that all the bodies recovered up to that point were female.
Kanja stated that autopsies on the victims were scheduled to be conducted on Monday.
Amin added that a second suspect had been arrested, noting, “He was found in possession of one of the victims’ handsets.”
The discoveries have further spotlighted Kenyan police and intensified pressure on President William Ruto, who is already grappling with a crisis stemming from widespread anti-government protests that resulted in the deaths of dozens of demonstrators.
Kenya’s police watchdog, the Independent Police Oversight Authority announced on Friday that it was investigating potential police involvement in the bodies found at the dumpsite, which is situated just 100 meters from a police station.
Kanja, who was appointed on Friday following the fallout from last month’s protest violence, informed reporters that all officers at the police post near the quarry had been transferred.
Tensions remained palpable at the crime scene throughout the weekend, with volunteers meticulously searching through extensive piles of rubbish in hopes of finding additional victims.
Trouble ensued briefly when locals attempted to bring a bag they had recovered from the quarry to the police station, only to encounter tear gas volleys, as reported by an AFP journalist present at the scene.
Rights groups frequently accuse Kenyan police of employing excessive force, conducting unlawful killings, or operating clandestine hit squads, yet few officers have been held accountable through the justice system.
