Nyeri residents assisted by KWS officers comb Sirimon area of Mt Kenya
forest in Laikipia on November 4, 2013 looking for bodies of residents
suspected to have been killed and dumped in the forest following
increased cases of abductions and killings in the area. Three bodies,
some mauled by hyenas, were recovered on Friday and Saturday last week.
PHOTO/ERIC MUTAI
NATION
Nyeri residents have raised concern over
continued abductions and killings with victims' bodies being dumped in
the Sirimon area of Mt Kenya forest in Nanyuki.
They claim many people are being reported missing only for their bodies to be discovered dumped in the forest.
The forest is about 90 Kilometers away from Nyeri town.
More
than 80 residents Monday combed the forest looking for the body of Mr
Geoffrey Njenga, a farmer who disappeared on Thursday last week.
He was in the company of his three friends whose naked bodies were recovered in the forest on Friday last week.
Some of the bodies had been mauled by hyenas.
His brother, Mr Dominic Kariuki who is also the Gathiuru Sub-Location senior assistant chief said Njenga had been called to meet someone at Kanyagia trading centre in Kieni West District, Nyeri County on Thursday evening but failed to return.
“We were later informed that some bodies had been discovered in the forest and taken to a Nanyuki hospital.
We went there but we did not find my brother's body,” said the administrator.
UNAWARE
Kieni West Officer Commanding Police Division Mr Kemboi Kipruto told the Nation that he was unaware of the incidents.
But residents insisted they had reported the cases to the Mweiga Police Station.A resident, Mr Benson Maina said his brother, Mr Michael Wambugu's body was also recovered on Friday last week.
Wambugu was operating a taxi at Kanyagia trading centre before he was reported missing.
“It appears like he was abducted together with his friends and forced into another car as his vehicle was later found near Solio area in Narumoru,” said Mr Maina.
A spot check by the Nation Monday found three groups of residents moving in files looking for bodies from bush to bush in the rugged terrain of the expansive forest.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) wardens helped the residents search for the bodies in the forest which is also infested with wild animals.
Attempts to reach the KWS assistant director in charge of the mountain conservation in the area Mr Aggrey Maumo were futile as he could not be reached on phone.
The senior warden in charge of Mt Kenya region Mr Simon Gitau’s phone also went unanswered.
However
wardens who spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorised
to speak to the press said two bodies were recovered on Friday.
The wardens searched the area close to the road leading to the Mt Kenya forest but did not find any more bodies.
“Some farmers reported that they had lost their livestock in the forest and we allowed them to look for them.
BODIES IN THE BUSH
Later they called us saying they had discovered a body in the bushes,” a warder said.
He added that the incident was not the first to be reported in the area.
“The bodies that are retrieved here are always half mauled by hyenas.
Sometimes we find bones but we do not know whether they are human or not,” said a KWS warden.
The search party expressed concern over their security saying they did not know the motive of the killings.
Residents called for the erection of a barrier for screening those entering the forest saying it will prevent vehicles ferrying bodies from going in.
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