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Since April last year, at least 20 people who had cases pending before court or under investigations have been killed in mysterious circumstances.

The manner of killings has been so distinctive, and bears all the hallmarks of the work of a very organised criminal group.

Investigations reveal that at least three of the people whose bodies were found dumped in River Yala, Siaya county recently, had a brush with the law, with some of them charged in court with serious offences like robbery with violence.

“The killers’ modus operandi suggests it is the work of the same gang. Interestingly, none of these cases has been successfully investigated,” a senior investigator who sought anonymity said.

Two of the bodies at the Yala Sub-County mortuary were positively identified as those of Peter Kiio, a former General Service Unit officer and Philemon Chepkwony.

Records indicate the two had been charged with robbery with violence in Narok. In January 2017, Kiio was also arrested together with Constable Cosmas Katothya, who was then attached to the residence of former police boss David Kimaiyo and a member of public Joseph Mutunga.

They were found in possession of a handcuff and police radio. Investigations further reveal that some of the victims are abducted in broad daylight. Of concern also is the inability, or unwillingness to unravel these mysterious killings and kidnappings.

In another killing on June 21, 2021, Daniel Ndutire was shot dead by unknown gunmen on a motorbike at Gwa-Kairu near Spuir Mall in Juja. He was driving in a white Subaru Forester, and the gunmen fired a total of 24 rounds of ammunition.

Strangely, for almost five years, he operated freely despite the fact that a warrant of arrest had been issued against him for jumping bail in a robbery case.

Robbery case During this period, investigations revealed he was also involved in a number of robberies within Nairobi and its environs and even beyond.

In one of the cases in March 2017, he was among six suspects who were involved in a failed bank robbery in Eldoret town after they disarmed police officers guarding Supreme Equity Bank at Poa Place.

In another robbery case, which was terminated by Makadara Law Courts after they absconded court, Ndutire and Stephen Mungai had been accused of robbing Patrick Nduati of Sh117,000, his lorry and 300 gas cylinders on June 14, 2014 at Sunton in Mwiki, Nairobi.

They were later released on Sh500,000 bail. However, after a few court appearances, they jumped bail and the court issued several warrants of arrest.

After police failed to arrest them, the then Makadara Chief Magistrate Evelyne Olwande on August 16, 2016 withdrew the case pending execution of warrant of arrest.

He was never arrested but continued with his activities unabated. Ndutire also had a pending case before Milimani Magistrate Court, case number MCCR/379/2019.

His last appearance in court was September 21, 2020 when he appeared before Hon Kenneth Cheruiyot, SPM Court 7.

Other killings involved four men who were on April 19 last year abducted from Enkare club in Kitengela. Recovery and identification of the bodies of Brian Oduor, Elly Obuong, Benjamin Imbai and Jack Anyago revealed a distinct pattern of killing, a modus operandi indicative of the work of a single gang.

All the bodies were stuffed in gunny bags and tied with ropes, before dumped within a radius of about 30km. None of them was shot, all appeared to have been strangled and were registered at the mortuaries as “unidentified male adults”.

Media coverage One of the bodies was dumped in Mukungai River along Murang’a-IyegoKangema while stuffed inside a gunny bag.

Despite the wide media coverage over the abduction, police who took the bodies to the mortuaries never alerted their counterparts, further deepening the mystery around the killing.

Sources said security agencies were concerned about the involvement of some of the members of this group that included a former convict, who had served an eightyear jail term.

One of them, Imbai, had also been arrested after they broke into and stole Sh900,000 from a vehicle at a car yard along Ngong Road on January 11, 2020.

He was arrested alongside six who trailed their victim from KCB Bank, Buruburu branch, before stealing from him.

Other mysterious abductions have also been reported over the same period involving people whose involvement in criminal activities still remain unknown.

Deep cuts One of the most brutal and daring kidnapping was of Mohamud Bashir Mohammed, the Somali-American contractor who went missing in Nairobi on May 13, and whose body was found at the Kerugoya Hospital mortuary.

The naked body with deep cut wounds had stayed at the morgue for five days after it was found dumped in River Nyamidi.

Other people who have been missing for over one year include security consultant and former military officer Mwenda Mbijiwe.

Ironically, detectives have acted professionally, and with speed is the investigation into the last years’ abduction and subsequent killing of eight-year old girl, Shantel Nzembi, in Kitengela.

Within a week, detectives had nabbed the main suspect and recovered several crucial exhibits.

The matter is now before court. Among those who have been abducted include Gerald Guandaru, who was abducted in broad daylight in June last year along Kanisa Road in Nyeri town.

Guandaru has been abducted more than once, and reports indicate he was involved in illegal ivory trade.