Police retrieve body with bullet wounds from Usoma beach, Lake Victoria

Kenya Wildlife rangers carry out patrol in Lake Victoria within Homa Bay County. [photo/JAMES OMORO]

Police in Kisumu have retrieved unidentified body from Lake Victoria presumed to be a victim of post-election protests in the area.

According to the county commander Titus Oyoma, police were notified by residents that there was a body on the shores of the lake. The body was taken to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary.

The incident comes at the wake of allegations by area leaders that several casualties of police brutality in the area were either thrown in the lake or buried in undisclosed mass graves.

Richard Nyang'au, a mortuary attendant said the body had bullet wounds in the chest and no one has claimed it yet.

"There are two holes on the chest signs indicating that if they were bullets shots they were at a close range," said Nyang'au

Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong'o alleged that at least four families have reported cases of missing kin and that fishermen at Musoma beach claimed to have recovered bodies in body bags and only one taken to the mortuary.

"I have asked the mortuary attendant to keep that body carefully as we wait for forensic scientists to examine the body and determine the cause of death," said Nyong'o

He said his administration will do all it takes to find out where the three bodies were taken.

"I have asked the Independent policing oversight Authority (IPOA) to keep track and get all information on police brutality in Kisumu during post polls protests," said Nyong'o.