By V. E. K. Madhushani, Jadetimes News
Authorities Investigate Gruesome Crime Scene in Nairobi
Kenyan authorities have apprehended a man they have described as a "serial killer" suspected of the gruesome murder of nine women whose mutilated bodies were found in a disused quarry used as a rubbish dump.
Jomaisi Khalisia, 33, was arrested early Monday morning at a bar where he was watching the Euro final. Khalisia has confessed to killing 42 women since 2022, including his own wife.
The discovery of dismembered bodies at the Mukuru quarry in Nairobi on Friday has shocked and outraged the nation. Mohamed Amin, head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), stated, "[He] confessed to having lured, killed, and disposed of 42 female bodies at the dumping site, all murdered between 2022 and as recently as Thursday."
Following his arrest, Khalisia led police to his house, located about 100 meters from the crime scene. Authorities recovered several items from his residence, including 10 phones, a laptop, identity cards, personal female clothing, a machete believed to have been used in the dismemberments, and nine sacks similar to those used to dispose of the bodies.
Police have cordoned off the dumpsite where the bodies were discovered in various stages of decomposition. The victims, aged between 18 and 30, were all killed in a similar manner. Investigations are ongoing to establish the motive behind the killings, and Khalisia is expected to be arraigned in court on Tuesday.
The arrest followed a "forensic analysis" of a mobile phone belonging to one of the victims, Josephine Mulongo Owino, which showed mobile money transactions conducted on the day she went missing. Authorities are conducting post mortem examinations on the bodies and have urged families who believe their loved ones may have been victims to report to the police.
"It is crystallizing that we are dealing with a serial killer, a psychopathic serial killer who has no respect for human life, who has no respect and dignity," said Mr. Amin. A second individual with a phone belonging to one of the victims has also been arrested and is being treated as either an accomplice or a suspect.
Kenya's police watchdog is investigating potential police involvement in the crimes, given the proximity of the dumpsite to a police station. Officers stationed there have been transferred to ensure "fair and unbiased investigations" into the "heinous" deaths, according to acting police chief Douglas Kanja.
The Independent Police Oversight Authority is conducting a preliminary investigation to determine any police connections, citing "widespread allegations of police involvement in unlawful arrests [and] abductions." This follows accusations from human rights groups that police shot and killed several people during protests against planned tax increases earlier this month.
On Friday, Kenya's police chief Japhet Koome resigned, a day after President William Ruto dismissed his entire cabinet in the wake of the deadly protests.
