All police officers at Kware Police Station, a few metres from the dumpsite where at least eight bodies have been recovered since Friday, have been transferred with immediate effect as investigations into the shocking incident take a new turn.
This was announced by Acting Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, who told a joint press briefing with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Mohamed Amin, that they would need at least 21 days to unravel what happened at the scene in Embakasi South Constituency.
The transfers, Acting IG Kanja said, were to give the police space to make a fair and unbiased report.
"I have transferred officers from Kware Police Station. At this difficult time, we stand with the community and remain committed to uncovering the truth and bringing those responsible to justice," he said.
The police bosses also assured the public that the investigation into the matter would unravel the origin of the macabre situation where dismembered bodies were found next to a police station.
So far, Acting IG Kanja said some persons of interest have been identified and the police are on their radar.
He also clarified that eight bodies had been recovered from the dumpsite, dispelling reports by angry locals who claimed that the bodies recovered from the dumpsite were 20.
For his part, DCI boss Amin said the bodies were at different stages of decomposition but the victims, according to preliminary investigations, had suffered similar deaths. He added that all the bodies had been dumped in the same place.
"The modus operandi was almost the same. If you look at the age, it was between 18 and 30. They are all female. If you look at the way the bodies were disguised and packaged - all the same," he said.
The DCI said the murders had opened a can of worms, pointing to several factors that could have led to the deaths. For example, he wondered if the perpetrators were part of a cult linked to criminal activity, or if they were serial killers.
"Or could we be dealing with rogue medical practitioners involved in criminal activity? All these are hypotheses that we have tried to take on board," he said.
Mr Amin said police officers were having a hard time carrying out their investigations, thanks to a rowdy and hostile public.
To quickly and successfully achieve the desired results in this matter, the DCI boss asked the locals to cooperate and assist them in their mandate.
"The public should cooperate. At least 70 per cent of the success of any investigation is how we investigate the crime scene. We will not get far if we allow members of the public to contaminate it," he said.
Police officers have also questioned the family of Josephine Owino, who claims to have had a dream that led them to search for her at the dump site.
