Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has denied reports that Justus Mutumwa was abducted before his death.
He stated that Mutumwa’s body was found floating in the Nairobi River in Ruai and that there was no mystery surrounding his death, as some people have suggested.
According to the police, a woman who was watering her crops by the river saw the body on December 18, 2024, and informed the authorities.
When officers arrived at the scene, they noticed the body had injuries and began investigations to establish what had happened.
Since there were no identification documents on the body, it was taken to the mortuary and remained unclaimed.
Mutumwa’s family reported him missing at Athi River Police Station on December 21, four days after he had disappeared.
Forensic experts later confirmed that the body found in the river was his. This development contradicts claims that Mutumwa was abducted along with Martin Mwau and Karani Muema in Mlolongo.
The reports had suggested that unknown people took the three men under unclear circumstances.
Mwau’s body was later found at the same mortuary where Mutumwa’s body had been taken. However, Muema’s whereabouts remain unknown.
The police have said they are still investigating the matter. Concerns about the disappearance of the three men led to Inspector General Kanja and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Amin Mohammed being summoned to court to explain the situation.
Both denied any knowledge of the men’s whereabouts and insisted that the police were not holding them.
Kanja has urged the public to be patient and allow investigations to take place instead of spreading unverified claims. He emphasized that Mutumwa’s body was found in a public place and that there is no evidence so far to support allegations of abduction.
He assured that investigations would continue to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the deaths and the disappearance of Muema.
The case has drawn public attention, with some questioning the involvement of security agencies in forced disappearances.
Human rights groups have previously accused law enforcement officers of extrajudicial killings and abductions, claims that authorities often deny.
Families of the victims and the public await further information on what really happened to the three men.
