Kware Killings, Mukuru Kwa Njenga
Fellow Kenyans, the Commission commences this statement on a sombre mood occasioned by the recent horrific revelations of the presence of mutilated and decomposing bodies at the Kware dumpsite in Mukuru Kwa Njenga in Nairobi. More shocking is the state in which the bodies were found; dismembered and wrapped in sacks and black polythene bags.
Police reports further state that they have arrested the main suspect linked to the killings who confessed to having killed forty-two (42) women and dumped them in the same dumpsite. So far reports indicate that ten (10) bodies have been recovered, all of them women. The Commission condemns those killings with the strongest terms possible. We condole with families that have lost their loved ones in these heinous killings. We are however saddened by news of the burning of the quarry and hope that this shall not be a damper to full, thorough and complete investigations.
The happenings in Mukuru kwa Njenga is a great violation on human rights. Article 26 of the Constitution guarantees the right to life for every human being. Even as we await post-mortem results from the forensic teams, the Commission has commenced its independent investigations on the matter and will be issuing a comprehensive statement on the matter once the inquiry is complete.
Coming a few days after Denzel Omondi’s body was found floating in a quarry in Juja, there is need to rule out any possibility of extra judicial killings. We cannot overemphasize the need for:
* thorough forensic investigations into the deaths to establish cause and probable time of death. The investigations should be in accordance with the Minnesota Protocol which aims to protect the right to life by promoting effective investigation of potential unlawful death or suspected enforced disappearance.
* transparency and accountability in all processes and stages of the investigations, especially during the ongoing post mortem process,
* any person who suspects that their kin might be among the retrieved to present themselves to the pathologists for DNA tests, as such linkages will provide valuable insights into the deaths.
It will be remiss of us not to mention that these happenings remind Kenyans of other bodies retrieved in the past, from rivers Yala and Tana amongst others, which cases remain unresolved to date. As a Commission we call out the lack of investigative conclusion on all those prior cases by the DCI, and urge Parliament and Treasury to allocate us funds to support an exhaustive and definitive enquiry into suspected cases of extra-judicial killings and involuntary deaths. It is time for the truth to be revealed. It is time for families to close the lid on their missing kin. It is time for closure.
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The Commission shall continue to discharge its constitutional duty of protection and promoting the rights of all Kenyans. We call on anyone with information or concerns touching on violations of Human Rights with the Mukuru killings to contact us via-: SMS-22359 , Email- complaint@knchr.org or on our Toll Free Line 0800 720 627.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) is an Independent National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) established under Article 59 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 and the KNCHR Act, 2011. The Commission’s mandate is the promotion and protection of human rights in Kenya.
May Justice be our Shield and Defender!
Roseline Odede,
Chairperson,
Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).
