Since Friday, nine butchered bodies trussed up in plastic bags have been recovered from an abandoned quarry in the Mukuru slum, a gruesome discovery that has horrified the nation.
Acting Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja announced the arrest of 33-year-old suspect Collins Jumaisi Khalusha at around 3:00 am (0000 GMT) near a Nairobi bar where he had been watching the Euro 2024 football final.
“We are dealing with a serial killer, a psychopathic serial killer who has no respect for human life,” said Mohamed Amin, head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). “We are dealing with a vampire, a psychopath.”
Amin stated that Khalusha claimed the murders took place between 2022 and July 11 this year. “The suspect confessed to having lured, killed, and disposed of 42 female bodies at the dumping site,” he added. “Tragically, his first victim was his wife, whom he strangled to death before dismembering her body and disposing of it at the same site.”
Khalusha is set to appear in court on Tuesday.
Luring Another Victim
The suspect was tracked down after an analysis of one of the victim’s mobile phones, in a joint operation by the DCI and the National Police Service. As officers moved in, “he was in the process of luring another victim,” Amin said. Khalusha also confessed to having had “carnal knowledge” of some of his victims.
A search of his one-room house, located just 100 meters (300 feet) from where the bodies were found, revealed a machete, nylon sacks, rope, industrial rubber gloves, a pink female handbag, and two female panties. The area will remain an “active crime scene,” Amin stated, promising a thorough investigation.
Autopsies and Arrests
Nine mutilated and dismembered bodies have so far been retrieved from the crime scene, with autopsies scheduled for Monday. Eight of the victims have been confirmed as female. A second suspect, caught with a phone belonging to one of the victims, has also been arrested.
Police Under Scrutiny
The discovery of the bodies has once again placed Kenyan police under scrutiny, adding pressure on President William Ruto amid a crisis over widespread anti-government protests that have resulted in the deaths of dozens of demonstrators. The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) is investigating potential police involvement in the case, noting the dumpsite’s proximity to a police station.
