DPP orders probe after mutilated bodies found in Kware dumpsite

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga has directed the police to investigate the discovery of at least nine bodies at an abandoned quarry in the Kware estate of Embakasi, Nairobi.

The bodies, mutilated and discarded similarly, were found in sacks near the Kware Police Station, at the quarry that has been turned into a dumpsite.

"The DPP is deeply concerned about reports which point to grave violation of human rights, considering that the said dumpsite is only a few metres from a police station," Ingonga noted in a statement on Friday, reaffirming his office's commitment to upholding human rights and the rule of law.

"Pursuant to Article 157 (4) of the constitution, the DPP has directed the office of Inspector General of the National Police Service to conduct a thorough investigation and forward the resultant file for perusal within 21 days."

PRESS STATEMENT

Reports about discovery of human bodies from a dumpsite in Nairobi #HakiNaUsawa pic.twitter.com/YZMmSEDKVn

— Office of The Director Of Public Prosecutions (@ODPP_KE) July 12, 2024

The DPP also called upon relevant agencies, including the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), to expedite investigations on all reports of enforced disappearances and deaths and submit their findings every seven days.

The police have been accused of carrying out the killings during the weeks of protests that rocked the country over the Finance Bill of 2024, and the demand for President William Ruto and his government to resign.

Ruto has acknowledged the issue of abductions and has promised the public thorough probes and appropriate punishment for anyone found culpable in the killings of peaceful protesters, most of them Gen Z.

The DPP further called on civil society and any persons with helpful information on these cases to submit it to authorities to help bring the perpetrators to justice.

"This office will work tirelessly with relevant government agencies to address concerns of the witnesses including their safety," he said.

Earlier on Friday, Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin said officers from their Embakasi division had commenced investigations after retrieving the bodies and taking them to City Mortuary where postmortems will take place.

"Homicide detectives and officers from the Forensics Division of the DCI are currently analysing samples to identify the bodies. The area has been cordoned off and designated as a crime scene as the investigations continue," he said.