For years, the Ruiru River in Kiambu county carried water to the farms and homes. However, today, it carries bodies dumped by criminals.

What was once a lifeline for thousands of locals has become Kiambu’s most convenient dumpsite where criminals leave evidence and locals live in grief, owing to what has become a disturbing routine – dead bodies floating in the river.

The brownish-green water that looks stagnant and polluted does not scream. It just receives the bodies and the killers know it will keep their evil secrets given that none of the killers have been arrested in relation to the many cases and an elusive justice system.

In the last three months, local traders who sell plants and seedlings and use the water in their makeshift small greenhouses say it is no longer a river but a crime scene after six bodies were retrieved. Police too, say they are aware of the matter but that the criminals have been elusive and discreet and that no arrest has been made.

“This river (Ruiru River) used to have clean water and was a habitat for many farms around this area. But for the last three years, it has become a dumpsite for dead bodies by criminals. In the last three months, we have retrieved five bodies with all signs that they were killed somewhere else and dumped here,’’ Agnes Muthoni who is a casual labourer at nearby seedlings farm told Daily Nation last week on Saturday.

“It is common to find body floating. The river is deep and downstream it connects to Athi River,” she added.

Her sentiments were echoed by Patrick Mwaniki, a boda boda rider who operates between Rainbow Ruiru Resort and Gwa Kairo Stage. He says weekends and Monday mornings are the worst days that locals are likely to recover bodies.

“The people who end up being dumped here are not locals or people known to the local community. They are total strangers, smartly dressed, some bodies have been retrieved decomposed, others had their heads decapitated and others freshly killed and dumped,’’ Mr Mwaniki told the Nation when we visited the scene to understand the context of the growing concern of River Ruiru.

A section of Ruiru River. The river has become Kiambu’s most convenient dumpsite where criminals leave evidence and locals live in grief.
Photo credit: File | Nation

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Ruiru Sub-county Police Commander Charles Kibathi told Daily Nation in an interview last week that the concerns raised by the locals are legitimate but the numbers of the people who have been found dumped in Ruiru River could be exaggerated.

“It is true we have retrieved a couple of the bodies at Ruiru River in the last few months but the numbers you are quoting may be exaggerated. Maybe two or three for the months you are talking about. But we are not denying that it is a big concern. We are addressing the matter and we have enhanced patrols in the area, especially at night,’’ Mr Kibathi told the Nation.

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Mr Kibathi notes that most of the bodies retrieved at Ruiru River bore no documentation and most of them ended up being booked at City Mortuary in Nairobi and General Kago Funeral Home, Thika as unknown.

“This makes it very hard for us to trace the families of the deceased when vital documents are not readily available. Another concern is that the bodies end up retrieved badly decomposed such that even doing the DNA test is very hard,” he added.

Last month, authorities recovered two bodies, one of a man and a woman. The two bodies were partially decomposed.

Locals say criminals prefer dumping the bodies at Ruiru River especially at night because it sits just next to Thika Super Highway and has an easy exit.

Most of the killings in Kenya are driven by property row, contract killings, crimes of passion and extra-judicial killings.

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Sciuri@ke.nationmedia.com