Kenyan police have arrested a man who they have described as a “serial killer” suspected to have been behind the gruesome murder of nine women whose mutilated bodies were found in a disused quarry used as a rubbish dump.
Police say Jomaisi Khalisia, 33, confessed to having killed 42 women since 2022, including his own wife.
The suspect was arrested at a bar early on Monday morning as he was watching the Euro final.
There has been shock and outrage in Kenya since the first of the dismembered bodies were found on Friday in the capital, Nairobi.
“[He] confessed to have lured, killed and disposed of 42 female bodies at the dumping site, all murdered between 2022 and as recent as Thursday,” said Mohamed Amin, head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
He said that after his arrest, the suspect led police officers to his house, about 100m (yards) from the crime scene.
Mr Amin said they had found crucial evidence in the suspect’s house, including 10 phones, a laptop, machete, identity cards and personal female clothing.
They also found a machete they “believed was being used to dismember the victims”, and nine sacks like the ones used to dispose of the bodies.
Since Friday, police have cordoned off the dumpsite where the bodies were found in various stages of decomposition.
The victims were aged between 18 and 30, according to the police.
Police say they are still interrogating the suspect to establish the motive for the killings and he will be arraigned in court on Tuesday.
Kenya’s police watchdog earlier said it was investigating whether there was any police involvement in the crimes as the dumpsite is close to a police station.
The Independent Police Oversight Authority said “widespread allegations of police involvement in unlawful arrests [and] abductions” meant it was undertaking a preliminary investigation to establish whether there was any police connection.
