Catholic Activists Demand Immediate Investigation into Mysterious Killings in Kenya

CitizenGo officials further say that the leadership of the East African nation is obligated to protect the citizenry from anything depriving them of their fundamental rights.

“It is high time we asked the government for answers, we need all the deaths investigated and for perpetrators to be arraigned,” say officials of the African-branch of the Hazte Oir, an ultra-conservative Spanish Catholic organization.

They ask in relation to the bodies recovered from the river, “Are these people who have been executed elsewhere and dumped in the river or are they just accidental coincidences?”

People have raised questions about the delayed investigations into the murders and the tendency to ignore missing persons reports in the country. 

Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi who posted a Twitter thread detailing his visit to the Yala Sub County Hospital mortuary said the health facility has been receiving at least five bodies from River Yala every month since October 2021.

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Mr. Mwangi said most of the bodies “bore marks of torture, tied with ropes, polythene bags on their heads and some had deep cuts.” 

In their petition, CitizenGo Africa officials call on Kenya’s CS for Internal Security to ensure the killings are stopped “immediately”.

“We hereby demand that you commence with immediate effect the deaths at Yala and stop these killings immediately,” they say. 

The Catholic activists add, “It is time we say enough is enough! The Yala River deaths need to be investigated as soon as possible.”

In January, religious leaders in Kenya said they will “set up intelligence committees to investigate the identities of the people being killed as well as their killers and push for prosecution of the suspects.”

The religious leaders also said they will also engage Inspector General in the East African nation, as well as security agencies at national, county and sub county levels, “to advocate for equitable implementation of the law.” 

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.