Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Kenyan authorities to complete their investigation into the discovery of mutilated bodies in a Nairobi quarry last year and address claims that police interfered with efforts to recover more remains.
In July 2023, volunteers found 10 dismembered female corpses and several unidentified body parts in an abandoned quarry in Mukuru, a slum in the capital.
The discovery came following nationwide protests against the government, with rights groups accusing police of brutality and abductions.
Authorities quickly arrested a suspect who allegedly confessed to murdering 42 women. However, he escaped from custody a month later and has not been seen since.
Despite the shocking nature of the case, no one has been prosecuted for the killings or the suspect’s escape, HRW and the Mukuru Community Centre for Social Justice said in a joint statement.
The HRW also reported that police had allegedly ordered volunteers to stop retrieving remains.
“Rather than obstruct the retrieval of bodies, Kenyan police should promptly and thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the dumping of bodies at the quarry,” said HRW’s Otsieno Namwaya.
Kenya’s police watchdog previously said it was investigating possible security force links to the killings.
