On Saturday, more “mutilated” bodies were recovered from Kware in Nairobi’s Mukuru kwa Njenga as search enters the second day, following the grim discovery of eight bodies wrapped in sacks at the same dumpsite on Friday.

In a tweet on Saturday, the Kenya Human Rights Commission confirmed the discovery of more mutilated bodies: “More mutilated bodies have been recovered from a quarry pit in Mukuru, Embakasi South.” 

The bodies were found in the wake of reports of abductions and enforced disappearances that accompanied the anti-tax protests which have gripped Kenya for the past three weeks. 

The protests have resulted in the deaths of over 40 individuals, as police clashed with demonstrators. 

The commission added, “Yesterday, eight bodies were found. Security forces must avoid interfering with the bodies and preserve evidence so that the cause of death can be determined and the perpetrators brought to justice.”

Although the commission did not specify the number of bodies found on Saturday, Kenyan-based CNN reporter Larry Madowo tweeted, “NEW: 5 more bodies in sacks have been pulled out of Kware in Nairobi’s Mukuru kwa Njenga,” along with footage of the recovery. 

The number of mutilated decomposing bodies recovered at the same dumpsite in the past two days stood at 13.

Amnesty International Kenya, in a joint statement with other civil society organisations, has called for a thorough investigation to uncover the cause of death of the recovered bodies. 

In response to the situation, President William Ruto stated on Saturday, “In Nairobi, 9 bodies were found in Kware and most of them are girls. I have directed the police and related agencies to expedite the investigations.” 

On Friday, the Kenyan police’s Department of Criminal Investigation confirmed that the recovered bodies were indeed mutilated, noting that “preliminary investigations suggest a similar mode of killing for the deceased. The bodies have been transported to the City Mortuary, where they await postmortem examinations.” 

This discovery follows the death of Denzel Omondi, a third-year student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, who was found dead in a swamp in Juja two days after protesters stormed the Kenyan Parliament. 

Despite President Ruto’s earlier denial of any massacre or abductions during the protests, the latest developments have cast a shadow over the official narrative and intensified calls for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths at Mukuru’s quarry. 

The discovery of the bodies has sparked renewed outrage among Kenyans, fuelling calls for further protests and demanding accountability for the killings and the decomposing bodies found at Mukuru.