Mlolongo 4 abductions: Families frustrated outside City Mortuary over delays

The families of two of the four missing Mlolongo youths remain in fear as their efforts to identify their loved ones' bodies on Saturday yielded no results.

They arrived at City Mortuary as instructed to identify the bodies, but nothing transpired regarding the two youths who disappeared last December

However, a different scenario unfolded upon their arrival.

"Tumeuliza another guy pale akatuuliza tumekuja kufanya nini, tukamwambia tuliambiwa tukuje leo saa nne ku-identify miili tuone kama tunaweza famu mtu wetu, lakini kufikia sasa hakuna kitu inaendelea tuko tu," Monica Mwende, the sister to Kalani Mwema noted.

According to Steve’s wife, her last moments with him before he went to shower took a dramatic turn when four men entered the house, slapped her, and ordered her to remain silent.

"Mmoja alikuwa mkubwa mweupe akanislap na akaniambia nilale na nisimuangalie. Na hao wengine wenye walikua huko nilikuwa naskia wakimwambia aharakishe atoke kwa bafu abebe wallet waende. Mimi nikadhani ni polisi wa kawaida tu. The first thing I saw ni mwanaume alikuwa amebeba handgun, so mimi nika-obey nikalala," said Steve Mbisi's wife.

Forty-five days later, the families are still searching for their loved ones, hoping for a breakthrough after the identification of Martin Mwau and another individual.

Mortuary officials had confirmed to Steve Mbisi's family that a third body, brought in on December 18, 2024, was discovered 50 minutes later—a body the Mbisi family hoped to see.

However, a last-minute change of morgue attendants made it difficult to assess the body, complicating the families' efforts to view it.

Opposition leaders who arrived to show support condemned this turn of events.

"The police entries are talking about murder in the case of one body and the other one dead by drowning, and they want the country to believe that that is actually the true story. I repeat, nobody can wish away this whole matter of killing by the state. We are calling it as it is—abductions and killings by the state," Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka stated.

DAPK leader Eugene Wamalwa added, "And the police hiding all this here, and victims who have been abducted—they too will be summoned to court. They will answer because if this turns out to be not just a place for storing bodies but a crime scene where the police are colluding to hide bodies of people they have killed and dumped here, then those behind it, including the leadership of this county and this country, will be answerable."

"I want to go on record so the country may know that actually there's a body that was brought here, and it's on the record. Alongside the body tag 2390 is a body tagged 2360, which even the morgue operators are unable to say where it is. It's on the record, but nobody knows where the body is," Kitui Senator Enock Wambua said.

The leaders now demand the questioning of pro-government figures who had suggested that the victims had abducted themselves.

"As you are aware, several people have been summoned, and Wakili Ndegwa had filed the application, led by Kimani Ichung’wah, Francis Atwoli, Didmus Barasa, Kenneth Lusaka, and I think we had Walukhe and others. Those who allege that Kenyans are abducting themselves—today we ask them, did Justine abduct and kill himself? Did Martin abduct and kill himself? A young man is lying in these cold rooms here, yet those who are trivializing this issue are doing so because they have been summoned," Wamalwa noted.

Family members assert that they will not tire in their search for their loved ones.

As the families of Steve Mbisi and Kalani Mwema leave City Mortuary without tracing their kin, it still remains a mystery how a body was brought here on December 18 last year, and yet, up to now, it cannot be traced.