NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 21 – Gem Member of Parliament Elisha Odhiambo linked the increased cases of unresolved murders to supremacy battles between the heads of criminal investigations and public prosecution.
Odhiambo specifically singled out failure by Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti and Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji to resolve the mystery of bodies retrieved from Yala River amid indications that the victims were toured to death before their bodies were dumped.
The area MP lamented that if the frosty relationship between the two agencies posed a security threat across the country.
“It hurts that the endless tug of war between the DCI and DPP which I believe this is what has been impeding investigations,” the lawmaker told the press on Friday moments after a local morgue said it was overwhelmed by the influx of bodies picked from the river.
The Gem MP urged Kinoti and Haji to iron out their differences failure to which Kenyans will continue to suffer in the hands of criminals.
“It’s high time the two agencies shelved their personal differences and put their best foot forward in the interest of the country. I am afraid if this issue is not looked into as a matter of urgency, they will be a rise in body dumping cases, “Odhiambo stated.
Odhiambo urged Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi to marshal his troops to ensure that the cases are resolved.
The Gem legislator said the dumping of the bodies poses a health and security risk. Odhiambo further said he will raise the issue before the National Assembly once the House resumes from recess.
“Looking at what is happening somebody must have tortured the individuals,” Odhiambo stated.
River Yala, which drains into Lake Victoria has been on the spotlight after the Yala Sub-County Hospital Mortuary recorded an influx of unclaimed bodies in recent days following the recovery of over twenty bodies on diverse dates.
The hospital’s management advised authorities to transfer bodies to Siaya County Referral Hospital saying the capacity of its morgue had been overstretched.
Medical Superintendent Dr Bruno Okall said the hospital’s morgue was not able to accommodate more bodies.
On October 20, 2021, the hospital buried nine unidentified bodies to create space in the morgue.
Dr Okall, in a notice addressed to Officer Commanding Police Division in Gem, said the advisory will remain active until the situation is contained.
“Kindly, use the referral hospital mortuary or any other public hospital mortuary for the time being,” Dr Okall advised.
The bodies retrieved from the river, a majority of which are of middle-aged men, appeared to have a similar pattern of disposal: being tied to heavy objects in an apparent move to keep them submerged in water.
Responding to concerns by human rights defenders for answers, the police sent a forensics team to examine recovered bodies.
HAKI Africa wrote to DPP Noordin Haji requesting his intervention over the River Yala bodies saga after it emerged some of the victims had been tortured and possibly murdered elsewhere before their bodies were dumped in the river which empties into Lake Victoria.
A family from Kepkelion in Kericho which identified an unclaimed body at the morgue in Yala on Thursday said the victim appeared to have been tortured.
Philemon Chepkwony, 37, and one of his three friends disappeared on December 2 after they were reportedly kidnapped.
