Kenyan police mentioned they found 5 luggage full of the dismembered stays of a number of girls at a rubbish dump within the capital Nairobi on Saturday.
Detectives have been scouring the scene in Mukuru slum since Friday, when the our bodies of six extra girls have been present in sacks floating in a sea of garbage.
The baggage discovered Saturday included severed legs and two torsos, officers mentioned, speculating that the deaths may very well be linked to the actions of a cult or serial killer.
However the nation’s police watchdog mentioned on Friday it was investigating whether or not police have been concerned within the horrific deaths, which got here amid allegations of widespread police abuses of human rights throughout latest anti-government protests.
Human rights teams accuse police of taking pictures dozens of individuals, some fatally, at demonstrations towards deliberate tax will increase and kidnapping or arbitrarily arresting lots of extra.
Police deployed two water cannons to the scene on Saturday after indignant protesters threatened to open luggage full of human stays, native media reported.
Officers from the Directorate of Legal Investigation (DCI) urged calm and provides them house to make findings, accusing protesters of hampering their investigations.
“We want to reassure the general public that our investigation will probably be thorough and can cowl a variety of areas, together with however not restricted to doable cultist exercise and serial killings,” the DCI mentioned in an announcement.
Earlier, the Unbiased Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) mentioned it was investigating whether or not police have been concerned within the horrific loss of life.
“The physique was wrapped in a bag and secured with nylon rope, displaying apparent indicators of torture and mutilation,” the regulator mentioned, noting that the dump was lower than 100 meters from the native police station.
It added that “there are widespread accusations that the police have been concerned in illegal arrests, [and] “Kidnapping” means it’s conducting a preliminary investigation to find out if there may be any hyperlink to police.
Kenya’s police drive has usually been accused of extrajudicial killings by human rights activists, however convictions are extraordinarily uncommon. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty Worldwide have beforehand accused the drive of “political interference in efforts to carry police accountable for abuses.”
The nation’s under-pressure chief, President William Ruto, vowed these behind the killings could be punished.
“We’re a democracy guided by the rule of regulation. These concerned in mysterious killings in Nairobi and every other a part of the nation will probably be held accountable,” he posted on X, previously Twitter.
The case is the newest disturbing such incident in Kenya.
Final 12 months, the nation was shocked when the stays of lots of of individuals linked to a doomsday cult have been found within the Indian Ocean coastal city of Malindi.
Paul Nthenge Mackenzie went on trial in Mombasa earlier this week on costs of terrorism and homicide within the deaths of greater than 440 of his followers. He denies the accusations.
He allegedly inspired males, girls and youngsters to starve to “meet Jesus” in one of many world’s worst cult massacres.
