Kenyan police have arrested a man they describe as a “serial killer” on suspicion of murdering nine women whose bodies were found dismembered in an abandoned quarry used as a dumping ground.
Jomaisi Khalisia, 33, admitted to killing 42 women since 2022, including his own wife, police said.
The suspect was arrested early Monday morning while watching the European Cup final in a bar.
There has been shock and outrage in Kenya since the discovery of the first dismembered body in the capital Nairobi on Friday.
“[He] Mohamed Amin, head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), said: “He admitted to luring, killing and disposing of the bodies of 42 women at the dumping site who were murdered between 2022 and as recently as Thursday .
He said that after the suspect was arrested, he led the police to his home, which was about 100m (yards) away from the crime scene.
Amin said they found important evidence in the suspect’s home, including 10 mobile phones, a laptop, machetes, ID cards and women’s personal clothing.
They also found a machete “believed to have been used to dismember the victims” and nine sacks identical to those used to dispose of the bodies.
Police have cordoned off the dump since Friday, where bodies were found in various stages of decomposition.
According to police, the victims ranged in age from 18 to 30 years old.
Police said they were still questioning the suspect to determine a motive for the killing and he was due to appear in court on Tuesday.
Kenya’s police watchdog earlier said it was investigating whether police officers were involved in the crime because of the dump’s proximity to a police station.
The Independent Police Oversight Authority said there were “widespread allegations of police involvement in unlawful arrests” [and] “Kidnapping” means it is conducting a preliminary investigation to determine if there is any link to police.
