Fresh details have emerged following postmortem examinations conducted on seven bodies recently exhumed in Mwingi, Kitui County, with autopsy findings indicating the victims died from violent injuries.
The postmortem examinations were carried out by a team of forensic experts led by Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor on June 16, after the bodies were exhumed from suspected shallow graves in Mwingi town.
According to the autopsy report, two of the victims died from strangulation, while another two succumbed to stab wounds to the abdomen, and the remaining three victims suffered severe head injuries that proved fatal.
However, Oduor said investigators could not determine the exact cause of death for two of the bodies due to their advanced state of decomposition.
“We were unable to establish the cause of death for two of them due to decomposition. Three had stab wounds, with one having head injuries,” stated Johansen.
Oduor also said that the identities of all seven victims are still unknown, as no relatives have come forward to claim the bodies since their recovery. As a result, authorities continue to hold the remains while investigations and identification efforts continue.
The pathologist added that, besides DNA analysis, samples have been taken for toxicology tests to establish whether any chemicals or toxic substances may have played a role in the deaths.
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Authorities Launch Probe After Multiple Bodies Found in Suspected Mass Grave in Kitui
Detectives cordoned off the site on Tuesday, June 9, and launched an exhumation exercise that led to the recovery of multiple bodies in different stages of decomposition.
The latest findings come barely a month after two mutilated bodies, a man and a woman, were discovered in the same area, further deepening anxiety among residents. In the earlier incident, the woman’s head was missing.
Kitui residents say the victims are yet to be identified, fuelling fears that the killings may be taking place elsewhere before the bodies are dumped in Mwingi.
“There are bodies of people who have been killed and dumped here in our town. It is like people are being murdered elsewhere and their bodies brought here,” said Morris Kinyatta, a resident.
Another resident, Ndanu Kimanzi, said the repeated incidents near Kasina Primary School had left the community deeply worried.
“These incidents have been happening near Kasina Primary School, and as residents we are worried because last month other bodies were also found near the same area,” Kimanzi said.
Kitui Woman Representative Irene Kasalu stated that the discoveries were alarming and called for investigations, noting that several bodies had been recovered in recent weeks and warning that there could be more buried in the area.
Police have urged anyone with a missing relative to report to Mwingi Central Police Sub-County headquarters to assist with identification efforts.
Mwingi Central Police Commander Antony Maina said all the bodies were found naked and buried in separate graves, and urged anyone with a missing relative to report to the police.
The bodies, which were in varying stages of decomposition, have been moved to the mortuary at Mwingi General Hospital pending identification and further investigations.
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Governor Malombe Pledges Action
Kitui Governor Julius Malombe assured residents that authorities are actively working to uncover the truth behind the disturbing discoveries and bring those responsible to justice.
Speaking at his office, Governor Malombe said the incidents had shocked residents of Mwingi and the country at large, describing the discoveries as deeply disturbing.
Malombe revealed that the latest case was reported on June 8, after information emerged about suspected human remains buried in shallow graves near Mwingi Catholic Church along the Mwingi–Garissa Highway.
A multi-agency team comprising officers from the County Ministry of Health, the National Police Service, the National Government Administration and other agencies visited the site under court orders and confirmed the existence of four shallow graves, from which human remains were recovered.
“The identities of the deceased, their ages and the causes of death have not yet been established and remain a subject of ongoing investigations,” Malombe said.
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