Police in Siaya have up-scaled surveillance along river Yala to curb dumping of more bodies, County Police Commander Michael Muchiri has said.
Muchiri said that Gem Sub County Police Commander has been instructed to deploy a team at Ndanu falls and its environs in a bid to nab suspects who could be behind several incidents where bodies, some in sewn gunny bags, have been found dumped along the river within Yala township.
Speaking to journalists in Siaya, Muchiri assured the public that the police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations were actively on the ground and were doing everything possible to get to the bottom of the matter.
He said that they were liaising with their counterparts from the neighbouring Kakamega, Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties to also be on the lookout along tributaries of River Yala.
Residents of Yala Township, Gem in Siaya County on Monday raised concern over the increased number of bodies that were damped in Yala River.
According to the local community, most of the bodies were found round the Ndanu Falls and it has become a common occurrence in Yala.
Nicholas Okero Okite, a local resident who retrieves bodies that are spotted in the river reported that he has retrieved 31 bodies in the past six months.
Some bodies were packed in sacks and sewn before they were dumped in the river.
St Peter Clevers, Yala Catholic Parish Priest Father Clement Oluoch expressed concern over the casual manner in which the matter was being handled.
Haki Africa Director Khalid Hussein who led a team of human rights activists in a visit to the area said the situation is terrible at the falls, and authorities must step in.
Boniface Mwangi, who was amongst human rights activists who visited the falls, challenged the government to take responsibility of assuring all members of the public of their security.
By Philip Onyango
