A Serial Killer Is Captured in Kenya

Whodunnit? KENYA Kenyan authorities arrested this month a suspected serial killer who has confessed to murdering 42 women since 2022, including his own wife, in a case that has shocked the country and renewed scrutiny against Kenya’s police force, the BBC reported. Last week, Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, 33, was apprehended in Nairobi, days after police discovered mutilated bodies at the Mukuru quarry, a disused dumpsite south of the capital. Authorities said Khalusha confessed to luring, killing, and disposing of 42 female bodies at the Mukuru dumpsite. The victims, aged between 18 and 30, were killed similarly and found in various stages of decomposition. The suspect led police to his house – about 330 feet from the crime scene – where they found a number of items, including phones, identity cards, personal female clothing, and a machete believed to be used for dismembering the victims, the New York Times added. Police have also arrested two other people for possessing a victim’s phone and selling multiple phones linked to the suspect, Africanews noted. The discovery sparked outrage in the African nation with human rights groups highlighting the broader issue of gender-based violence in Kenya. The case also sparked condemnation of the Kenyan police, which families of missing women have admonished for their inaction and incompetence. Public suspicion has been fueled by the proximity of the dumpsite to a police station, leading to criticism of their failure to detect or investigate the disappearances. Questions have also been raised over the speed of the arrests and how police obtained Khalusha’s confession: During last week’s court appearance, the suspect retracted his statements and his lawyer claimed the confession was obtained under torture, according to the Times of India. Observers noted that the case comes at a difficult time for the police, which has been accused of using excessive force during recent anti-government protests against tax hikes, resulting in at least 50 deaths. Some pro-democracy groups alleged that the bodies could be linked to the protesters who disappeared during the recent demonstrations. However, government officials denied the allegations, saying the deaths were related to femicides and not political killings. Meanwhile, the Independent Police Oversight Authority is probing possible police involvement or negligence, and officers at the station nearest to the quarry have been transferred to ensure unbiased investigations. Share this story