Kenyan police have arrested a suspect after confessing to the gruesome murder of 42 women, whose dismembered bodies were dumped at a rubbish tip in Nairobi.
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The chilling discovery has sent shockwaves across the country.
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Acting Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja on Monday announced the arrest of the 33-year-old prime suspect, Collins Jumaisi Khalusha.
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Khalusha was apprehended near a bar around 3 am local time.
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Head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Mohamed Amin, described Khalusha as a “psychopathic serial killer who has no respect for human life.”
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The arrest was the result of a joint operation by the DCI and the National Police Service.
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Khalusha confessed to luring, killing, and disposing of the bodies of 42 women at the Mukuru slum dumping site between 2022 and July 11, 2024.
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His first victim, tragically, was his wife, whom he strangled, dismembered, and discarded at the same location.
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LEADERSHIP reports that since Friday, police have recovered nine mutilated and dismembered bodies trussed in plastic bags from the garbage site.
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All the bodies recovered so far have been female while autopsies on the victims are set to be conducted on Monday.
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Amin also revealed the arrest of a second suspect, caught with a mobile phone belonging to one of the victims.
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The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) is investigating potential police involvement in the case, noting the proximity of the dumpsite to a police station just 100 meters away.
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Kanja, recently appointed following the fallout from last month’s protest bloodshed transferred all officers from the nearby police post last week.
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Tensions escalated at the crime scene over the weekend as volunteers searched the vast piles of rubbish for more victims.
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Conflict arose when locals attempting to take a bag from the quarry to the police station were met with tear gas volleys, according to an AFP journalist.
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Kenyan police face frequent accusations from rights groups of excessive force and unlawful killings, but few officers have faced justice.
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This latest case adds further pressure on President William Ruto, who is already dealing with a crisis stemming from widespread anti-government protests that have resulted in numerous demonstrator deaths.