Return of killer police squads echoes Kenya's dark past

Dancan Kyalo (centre), brother to Justus Mutumwa, addresses the media outside City Mortuary, Nairobi yesterday. He is flanked by LSK President Faith Odhiambo (left) and Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo (right).[Collins Kweyu, Standard] Unlike previous abductions that targeted online critics of the government, none of the Mlolongo Four had a prominent online presence. These four individuals, who reportedly knew one another, were abducted on the same day. Tragically, two of them have since been found lifeless, their mutilated bodies lying on slabs at the Nairobi Funeral Home. The families of the remaining victims, yet to be found, continue to grope in the dark, enduring daily heartache and battling the gnawing fear that each passing day without word might spell the worst. Kenya's security agencies have distanced themselves from the horror, even as cases of abductions and mysterious deaths spike. After initially missing court summons, Inspector General (IG) of Police Douglas Kanja and Director of Criminal Investigations, Mohammed Amin, both denied knowledge of the abductions and killings. Some security analysts, however, detect the chilling signature of a killer squad in the Mlolongo executions. "That the IG and police units have distanced themselves from the abductions and killings should be cause for worry," warns security analyst George Musamali. Security history "It should prompt us to ask: Are there secret formations operating outside the IG's command, with someone else calling the shots?" The gruesome manner in which the bodies were found, he says, echoes targeted killings reminiscent of dark chapters in Kenya's security history - from the Special Service Unit (SSU) to the Kwekwe Squad of the old days. When friends of Joseph Ndung'u and Kennedy Gitau carried their caskets in protest from Kiamanyeki village to Wang'uru police station on Feb 11, 2023 after they were allegedly killed by police. [File, Standard] Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was among the first to sound the alarm about a rogue unit allegedly masterminding abductions, led by a man he identified only as "Abel", operating outside the IG's control. "There is a unit operating across security agencies and not under the command of the IG, Abel is a cousin to a senior government official," stated Gachagua. As the family of Martin Mwau prepares to bury the 35-year-old, questions linger who could have desperately wanted him dead and his friend Justus Mutumwa. Their badly mutilated bodies were found in a stream in Nairobi's Ruai area a day after being picked by the would-be killers. Also seized the same day on December 17, 2024 was Kalani Muema who was in company of Mwau and Mutumwa in Mlolongo. The following day, the abductors went for Steve Mbisi Kivingo in Athi River. Mbisi and Kalani are still missing. Their families fear the two could have met similar fate and the bodies are lying somewhere. Mwau and Mutumwa were severely tortured since they bore scars inflicted by sharp objects. Similar murders "His forehead had deep cuts, his eyes had been pierced, and his lips were cut. His wrists bore visible marks, indicating they had been tightly bound," recounted Mutumwa's brother Duncan Kyalo Musyimi. The widow of Josephat Mwenda who was a client of the late lawyer Willy Kimani cries outside Milimani Law Courts on February 03, 2023 when the court sentenced three police officers and an informer after finding them guilty of killing Mwenda,Kimani and a taxi driver..[Collins Kweyu,Standard] Such an execution is the hallmark of killer squads that have in the past carried out similar murders. The killer squads are mostly State security agents or organised criminal gangs for hire. When they went missing, it was initially feared that the four men had been kidnapped over social media postings critical of the government. It has now emerged that neither Mwau, Mutuma, Kalani and Mbisi were active on social media platforms. According to witness accounts, Mwau, Mutumwa and Kalani were forcibly taken by armed, masked men who bundled them into two Toyota Harrier vehicles that sped off. While their relatives maintain their kin were law-abiding and hardworking citizens, there has been speculation that either of them might have been linked to illegal activities or crime. Mwau's family defended the father of three from anything wrong that would have landed him in trouble saying the man was not a troublemaker. Mwau according to the family had set up a taxi and boda boda business in Mlolongo. On his part Kyalo brushed off claims saying: "I don't know why all these allegations are coming from in relation to someone's private life. I won't be dragged into such irrelevant issues." His brother Mutumwa, 33, has lived in Mlolongo where he had a boutique and another one in Athi River. Kalani's elder sister Monica Mwende, said his brother was a small-scale trader in Mlolongo where he sold secondhand bags. She said throughout, his life, Kalani,22, has never committed any crime or done something in conflict with the law. Whether Mwau and Mutumwa had rubbed feathers the wrong way or not; what is clear is that they were victims of a killer squad, akin to those that were behind the Yala River killings, hitmen simply executed those that silenced leaders of the murderous Mungiki sect or the two for hire. While ruling out politics, security analyst Musamali says a thorough profile of other lives could provide clues into what could have led to their death. "The signature of their abductions points to the government but I have ruled out politics because the victims were not active on social media, they were not political mobilisers and neither were they human rights activists; there is more than meets the eye," noted Musamali. Reports show that the bodies of the Mwau and Mutumwa, two of the Mlolongo Four, had been lying at Nairobi Funeral Home, commonly known as city mortuary, for weeks before identification. Police officers Fredrick Ole Leilman (right) and Stephen Cheburet Morogo talk with their lawyer Cliff Ombeta before High Court Judge Jessie Lesiit sentenced them in a case where they were found guilty for the murder of lawyer Willy Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda and taxi driver Joseph Muiruri on February 03, 2023. [Collins Kweyu, Standard] "This points to a broken system and the police are firmly on the spot here, the country was on the edge last year but a simple finger print procedure had to wait that long, this is unacceptable," laments human rights activist Hussein Khalid. Section 63 In Kenya, the responsibility for identifying unclaimed bodies is vaguely addressed by the National Police Service Act. While Section 63 of the act mentions the police's role in handling unclaimed property, which could extend to bodies, the process remains poorly defined. "Ideally, any body picked outside a medical facility must be handled by police. Crime scene management is one of our biggest weaknesses. Fingerprints should be taken at the scene so that by the time the body reaches the morgue, the next of kin have been traced," Musamali observes. In practice, the police are tasked with transporting unidentified bodies to public mortuaries, where mortuary staff then attempt to identify them through public notices and community engagement. For more than a month, the families of the Mlolongo Four had desperately searched for them until last Thursday when the bodies of Mwau and Mutumwa were discovered at Nairobi Funeral Home where they had been lying after being retrieved from the river in Ruai. Mwau's family is preparing to bury him at their Nduu home in Kilungu, Makueni County. His father Julius Kimuyu who has since been diagnosed with high blood pressure says the death of his son has dimmed the family's future. "We met in August last year when he came home. The last time to speak to him before his disappearance and subsequent killing was December 13. I never heard from him until last week when the news of his body lying at the mortuary were broken to us," said Kimuyu. Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka while in Kilome, Makueni, on Saturday called out the government over abductions and killings. "We will fight for our people to ensure justice is served for our people. ''What is happening is not acceptable in a democratic country," said Kalonzo. Kaiti MP Joshua Kimilu condemned the deaths while accusing the government. "We must get answers to why our people must be killed in this manner," said the lawmaker. Mwende, whose brother Kalani remains missing, said she was misled by a caller claiming to be a police officer. The caller allegedly assured her that Kalani would be released but warned her to keep the information secret. According to Kyalo, he reported the disappearance of his brother (Mutumwa) at DCI offices in Athi River and was issued OB number 23/21/12/2024, only to face intimidation himself. "Determined to seek justice, I spoke out publicly. Shortly after, I began receiving numerous threatening calls, warning me to stop pursuing the case. The caller warned me that I would also forcefully disappear," he said. Report by Francis Ontomwa, Hudson Gumbihi, Stephen Nzioka and Emmanuel Kipchumba

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