DCI allays fears over false identity claims of prime suspect in Kware killings

Twenty-four-year-old Jairus Onkundi Morwabe presented himself to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Headquarters on Monday afternoon seeking to distance himself from the ongoing probe into the ongoing probe on Kware murders.

According to the DCI, the Meru University Science and Technology alumni presented himself to detectives after images of him went viral on social media likening him to the prime suspect in the Kware murders.

DCI Director Amin Mohamed in a statement accused a social media influencer of fueling the panic on the graduate and his family by sharing his "Name, images and description of another innocent Kenyan" thereby insinuating that the DCI had earlier issued a misleading statement.

"The influencer on his X account carelessly and with total disregard to the need to verify information, indicated that there existed no public record of our suspect and went ahead to post names, images and descriptions of another innocent Kenyan by the name Jairus Onkundi," said Amin.

Following the post that went viral, Onkundi made his way to the complaints Directorate seeking clearance for any culpability in the ongoing probe.

"According to the complainant, he had received the circulating posts from worried family members and friends at his workplace at Parklands in Nairobi, forcing him to rush to our offices fearing for his life in case he fell into the hands of agitated persons in the case of mistake of fact, " the Director added.

Onkundi is a computer science graduate who is neither a criminal nor wanted by detectives for any offence, added Amin.

The prime suspect in the macabre killings was arrested at a club on Monday morning while watching the Euro football finals, the police had revealed earlier.

DCI's Homicides Unit officers and volunteers at the scene during the exercise to retrieve bodies on July 13, 2024. (Photo: Joseph Ndûnda)

Police records show they have recovered nine bodies so far, as the search for more continues, even as the Mukuru Social Justice Centre claimed to have recovered another body on Monday.

The discovery of the bodies, all women has heightened tensions in the country as it coincides with the recent claims of extra judicial killings of anti-government protests.

Amin assured Kenyans that, a thorough probe is ongoing to unravel the mystery behind the killings even as the prime suspect confessed to having killed more than 40 persons in the same manner in alleged "revenge" killings mostly targeting women.

The suspect's wife, Imelda Judith Karenya was his first casualty according to the police.

She was allegedly killed after mismanaging a business venture he had set up for her on several occasions, which triggered his anger and deadly attack.

The Directorate has since reached her mother who recorded a statement on Monday.