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Police must address abductions, killings
Newly appointed Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and his deputy in charge of Administration Police Gilbert Masengeli during a media brief at the National Police Service headquarters in Nairobi, yesterday. PHOTO/Kenna Claude
Newly appointed Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and his deputy in charge of Administration Police Gilbert Masengeli during a media brief at the National Police Service headquarters in Nairobi, yesterday. PHOTO/Kenna Claude

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Within the past 72 hours, at least seven bizarre murders of individuals have happened in Kenya under mysterious but almost similar circumstances and exhibiting similar patterns. Some of the recovered bodies were said to have had signs of torture, such as head wounds, broken limbs, gouged-out eyes, and missing parts.

On Monday, a mother and her two daughters were reportedly abducted in Nairobi’s Eastleigh district before their bodies were discovered dumped in three different locations several hours later – Bahati, Parklands, and Machakos – and had similar injuries, police said.

The family said two of the victims – a girl aged 11 and a woman of 22 – left home on Monday evening at around 5.30pm to search for their mother, who had gone out earlier in the day for skin treatment in Eastleigh but had not returned home and had not communicated with her family.

The daughters had taken a taxi to their destination to search for their mum in what appeared to have been a choreographed trap to lure them to their deaths.

Only hours earlier, Wells Fargo human resources manager Willis Ayieko bid farewell to a group of friends in Gem, Siaya, and left for his home. He is suspected to have been abducted by unknown assailants, who murdered him and dumped his body in a stream, with the eyes, tongue and other parts removed.

These bizarre killings have emerged as Kenyans are still grappling with cases of forced disappearances by members of elite squads in the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. Though the police have vigorously exonerated themselves from the abductions and forced disappearances, there have been instances when they ended up with egg on their faces.

For instance, take the case of four Turkish refugees that the government finally admitted to have handed over to Ankara, after days of relentless denial that it was involved in their abductions.

Over the past seven months, reports of abductions and people disappearing into thin air have increased. Many of the victims were later found murdered, while a lucky few, such as two brothers from Kitengela and a friend, were released.

Kenyans want the police to end this scourge and protect everyone’s right to life and security.
Unfortunately, while the police deny being involved in abductions and forced disappearances that ended up in deaths, they appear reluctant to investigate the incidents.

The police must come up with a strategy to deal with abductions promptly and prevent more killings. The DCI must also tell Kenyans who is behind the abductions and ensure that the law takes its course.

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