Kenyan police announced on Monday the arrest of a suspected serial killer who has confessed to the murders of 42 women, including his wife, before discarding their dismembered bodies in a Nairobi rubbish dump.
The grisly discovery of nine butchered bodies wrapped in plastic bags at the Mukuru slum area since Friday has shocked the nation. Acting Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, stated that the 33-year-old suspect, Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, was apprehended around 3:00 am near a Nairobi bar where he had been watching the Euro 2024 football finals.
Mohamed Amin, head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), described Khalusha as a “psychopathic serial killer” and a “vampire” with no respect for human life. According to Amin, Khalusha claimed that the murders occurred between 2022 and July 11 this year.
“The suspect confessed to luring, killing, and disposing of 42 female bodies at the dumping site,” Amin said. Tragically, Khalusha’s first victim was allegedly his wife, whom he strangled, dismembered, and discarded at the same site.
Khalusha was tracked down through the analysis of a victim’s mobile phone, leading to a joint operation by the DCI and the National Police Service. At the time of his arrest, he was reportedly in the process of luring another victim. Khalusha admitted to having sexual relations with some of his victims.
In his one-room house, located just 100 meters from where the bodies were found, officers discovered a machete, nylon sacks, rope, industrial rubber gloves, a pink handbag, and two female undergarments. The crime scenes will remain active, with authorities promising a thorough investigation.
So far, nine mutilated bodies have been recovered from the dump site, with eight confirmed to be female. Autopsies are set to be conducted. Another suspect, found with a phone belonging to one of the victims, has also been arrested.
The case has brought intense scrutiny on Kenyan police, adding pressure on President William Ruto amid widespread anti-government protests that recently resulted in the deaths of dozens of demonstrators. The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) is investigating whether there was police involvement in the killings, as the dumpsite is located just 100 meters from a police station. IPOA is also examining whether there was a failure to act to prevent the murders.
Following last month’s protests, Kanja, who has been in office for only a week, stated that all officers at the nearby police post have been transferred. Over the weekend, tensions remained high at the crime scene as volunteers searched through the rubbish in the abandoned quarry for more victims. Clashes briefly erupted when locals attempted to take a bag from the pit to the police station, resulting in police using tear gas.
Kenyan police have often been accused of excessive force and unlawful killings by rights groups, with few officers ever facing justice for these actions.
