NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 31 – The National Police Service (NPS) has contested ‘inaccurate’ reports alleging the discovery of Justus Mutumwa’s body, one of three men reportedly abducted in Mlolongo on December 17, on Thursday.
NPS, in a statement on Friday, said police recovered the body of the deceased on December 18, a day after his disappearance and that it remained at City Mortuary as part of an active murder investigation.
The statement indicated that DCI agents working on the case only identified the body on Thursday following a forensic investigation.
Mutumwa was allegedly abducted in Mlolongo alongside Martin Mwau and Karani Muema.
NPS said police officers officers recovered the said body on December 18 following a report of a body floating in the Nairobi River in the Ruai area.
Police said the reportee spotted the body while irrigating her vegetables planted near the river.
Unaware of the discovery, Mutumwa’s family filed a report about their missing relative at the Athi River Police Station on December 21, three days after his disappearance.
“Meanwhile, the body remained unidentified until yesterday when forensic investigations, led by the relevant department, were able to confirm it was indeed that of the missing Justus Mutumwa,” NPS explained.
Police Ispector Genral Douglas Kanja added that the bruises and general state of the body had prompted DCI officers in Ruai to open a murder investigation.
He said the DCI is currently investigating the case following the forensic identification of Mutumwa’s body.
Reports of the discovery of Mutumwa’s body at the City Mortuary emerged during a court appearance by IG Kanja to respond to summons over the Mlolongo dissaperances.
Lawyer Dan Maanzo reported the family had identified the body at the morgue.
The body of Martin Mwau, who went missing alongside Mutumwa, was also discovered at the City Mortuary.
Court appearance
Kanja had appeared in court alongside Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Amin Mohammed, where they denied knowing the whereabouts of the three men abducted in Mlolongo.
Justice Chacha Mwita had summoned the two to explain the whereabouts of the three men.
They told the court that the trio were not in police custody and that the matter was still under investigation.
“Your Honor, we have none of the subjects. I want to confirm before this court that we have none of them,” Kanja said.
Amin revealed that the agency was actively investigating the disappearance of the three, assuring the court that once the investigation was completed, the file would be sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
“Finally, I wish to state that the missing persons are not in the custody of the National Police Service. We have not arrested them, and they are not in our custody,” Amin said.
