Kenyan police say, cases of decomposing bodies being retrieved from river Yala in the western part of the country have been ongoing for the past two years.

The police however say they are yet to discover those behind the crime, as they launch an advanced investigation into the crime.

According to Police Spokesman Bruno Shioso, a forensics team has been dispatched to Yala in Siaya to help identify the bodies from the river as part of investigations.

Human rights activists on a fact finding mission on Monday claimed to have discovered bodies floating around in sacks in river Yala while others had their heads covered in polythene bags.

In their findings, the organisation said they had counted twenty bodies at the yala sub county hospital recovered from the river.

A witness whom the organisation interviewed also claimed to have retrieved 31 bodies from the river since July last year.

However, the police say “In the last two years, nineteen (19) incidences involving human bodies that have been found dumped in River Yala have been reported to the National Police Service. This number represents a cumulative body count over the stated period contrary to media reports insinuating all the incidences are a recent occurrence,”.

PRESS RELEASE

Retrieval of bodies in river Yala. pic.twitter.com/5d9NlKnOdZ

— National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) January 19, 2022

With these contradicting reports, it is not clear the exact the number of cases but what is for sure is that the crime keeps happening in the county.

The discovery prompted mixed reactions amongst Kenyans raising questions on the identity of the victims and those who might be behind their murders.

For some who expressed their surprised on Social media, their concern was more of safety measures in place by the police.

In the recent months, reports of people being kidnapped and disappearing without a trace has been hitting the headlines with families of missing kin raising an outcry on the whereabouts of their relatives.

Africanews