Kware murders: Gov't faces backlash as activists demand rearrest of main suspect

Activists are faulting the government’s handling of the gruesome murders of women whose bodies were found dumped in the Kware area of Embakasi, Nairobi County in July this year.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, officials from the Mukuru Community Justice Center said the State has failed in their identification of all victims and their families.

“This might explain why at the City Mortuary, there are a lot of unidentified bodies. Six women were the only ones identified out of the 18 bodies recovered from the crime scene,” they said.

The centre faulted the government for handling the case, from how such an incident would have taken place just metres from a police station to the escape of the man said to be the main suspect from police custody.

Collins Jumaisi was arrested in July after police said he admitted to killing 42 women, including his wife, and dumping their bodies in Kware from 2022 to 2024.

In August, police said he escaped custody at the Gigiri police station in Nairobi alongside 12 others.

“Going by how the govt handled the matter it is not clear if the victims will ever receive justice,” the activists said.

“We suspect the manner in which he disappeared from police custody,” the activists said, calling for Jumaisi’s rearrest.

Five police officers have since been arraigned over accusations of helping the suspects escape.

However, Jumaisi told the court that police tortured him and forced him to confess to the murders.

Additionally, the activists also urged the government to investigate reports by local community members that there are more bodies in the Kware dumpsite.

They also called for support of the volunteers who aided in the retrieval of the bodies from the quarry.

“Most of the retrieval of bodies was done by youths from the community who are not professionals in the job. The retrieval was also done without protective gear. There ought to be an open invitation to these youths who volunteered to retrieve bodies,” they noted.