DCI confirm arrest of prime suspect behind Mukuru killings

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has confirmed the arrest of the main suspect behind the killing of several women whose bodies have been recovered from a dump site in Nairobi's Mukuru slums.

DCI boss Mohamed Amin on Monday confirmed the 33-year-old male suspect, was arrested in Nairobi's Soweto area, outside a club at around 3 am in a joint operation by the directorate and the National Police Service.

The DCI boss said the suspect confessed to having killed the women between 2022 and July 11, 2024, with his first victim being his wife.

A search at the house of the suspect, which is close to the dumpsite led to the recovery of several items including 24 sim cards, eight smartphones, a laptop, a machete, green sacks and rubber gloves.

Also recovered were six male ID cards, two female ID cards, one handbag, five rolls of bhang, a reflector jacket, two title deeds and some money.

"It's clear that we are dealing with a psychopathic serial killer with no respect for human life who even had carnal knowledge with some of his victims," Amin said.

The DCI boss said the suspect was on the verge of luring another victim at the time of arrest.

Amin said there could be a correlation between the incidents and the rise in femicide cases in the country.

"He had a penchant for beautiful women. We suspect these are revenge killings," he said.

The probe is still ongoing. The suspect's house and dumping site remain active crime scenes."

Amin said they also arrested a second suspect after a forensic analysis of one of the victim's phone numbers which had conducted an M-Pesa transaction.

Volunteers carry the body of an unknown person retrieved from a dump site in Mukuru slums, Nairobi, on July 12, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi)

Acting Inspector General of Police said they needed around 21 days to complete the probe on the killings confirming that they had so far retrieved nine bodies in the area.