‪One Of Mlolongo 3 Abductees Found Dead‬

One of the three men reported missing from Mlolongo has been found dead, contradicting earlier statements made by the Inspector General (IG) of Police and the Director of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in court.

The body of Justus Mutumwa was discovered in a river in Ruai, just a day after their disappearance, as disclosed by family lawyer Dan Maanzo.

The revelation came shortly after IG Douglas Kanja and DCI boss Mohamed Amin appeared before the court, vehemently denying having knowledge of the whereabouts of the three missing men from Mlolongo.

They had denied that the individuals were in police custody or that the police had any information regarding their disappearance.

Maanzo stated that Mutumwa’s body was taken to the City Mortuary, where his family positively identified it.

“We have confirmed that petitioner number 1, Justus Mutumwa, has been found dead, and his body is in the city mortuary. A quick check with the fingerprint has confirmed that it is him and he is a petitioner in this particular case,” Maanzo said.

“The issue of Habeas Corpus in relation to the police was raised, with the police specifically stating that the individuals were not in their custody and had not been arrested by them.”

According to lawyer Maanzo, “The police gave misleading information that they were on their way to Kitui, but the body was found in the river around Ruai the very next day.”

He added that there are two more bodies that are yet to be identified.

This discrepancy between the police’s account in court and the reality of the situation has sparked outrage and confusion.

Faith Odhiambo, the president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), expressed her disbelief at the situation, stating, “It’s quite hilarious that the police had already discovered a body and were conducting investigations, yet all along they’ve denied knowing the whereabouts of the three.”

She further criticized the apparent lack of coordination or truthfulness within the National Police Service (NPS), adding, “The fact that the IG and the Director of DCI can come to court and tell the court they have no idea, yet fingerprints were taken and identified, either means they’re not talking to each other, they don’t have control over their different agencies within the NPS, or they’re lying to the people of Kenya.”

The family identified the body on Thursday.

A postmortem has been scheduled to establish the cause of his death.

Lawyer Dan Maanzo has called for further investigation into possible police or other state actors’ involvement.

“It is now upon the police, as required by law, to investigate and determine who was responsible for the abduction and killing of these individuals. The responsibility, therefore, may rest solely with the police to identify those involved.”

Justus Mutumwa, along with Stephen Mbisi Kavingu, Martin Zyuko Mwau, and Kalani Mwema, disappeared on December 16 and 17 in quick succession under unclear circumstances.

Mutumwa, Zyuko, and Mwema were last seen by their friends at a local joint on the evening of December 15, 2024, where they appeared to be in a jovial mood.

According to their families, the three had left their homes on the morning of December 15, 2024, to attend to their respective businesses and workplaces but never returned.