Shock of bodies on Magadi road

Three charred bodies of middle-aged men were discovered Thursday beside a road near Olepolos on the Nairobi-Magadi highway.

Residents said they saw the bodies dumped by the roadside early morning before notifying the police. They had been charred with acid and two of them had gun shot wounds to the head.

Kajiado North Police Bosss Mohamed Farah told reporters that the three might have been murdered at the scene before the corrosive liquid was poured on them. Spent bullet cartridges were found at the site but the it was not clear which type of gun had committed the crime.

However, Mr Farah said that further investigations would be done to establish the cause of the murder.

“We do not know what exactly happened but we have called in our crime experts to carry out investigations to get more details,” he said.

Residents who spoke to the Nation said they heard gunshot blasts at around 11 pm but could not establish what was going on. A former chief would later be informed by his son who passed by the scene at six in the morning. He later relayed the news to the police.

There were no identification documents found on the bodies and residents could also not positively identify them.

Crime scene officers said they would only get to know their identities through fingerprinting. According Mr Farah, the men might have been aged between 18 and 26.

The state in which the three bodies were found was horrifying and could be a key pointer to the cause of the crime.

One of them had been shot through his head, shattering his chin. His body had been severely burnt with the acid. His long-sleeved top was also ruptured, as the acid ate away his skin. He was barefoot.

The other wore a red and white pair of sneakers but his blue jeans had been partially burnt by the acid. The red top and black nylon jacket he wore had also been charred and had what looked like a bullet wound to his head.

The third had no shoes, wore blue jeans and a black t-shirt (also spoilt by the acid) but had no wound. The acid appeared to have been poured from the chest downwards.

Area occupants however claim that the murders could have been hatched elsewhere and only executed in that area.

“We don't know these people and this area is peaceful. We do not know of anything that could lead to murders,” claimed one of the residents.

The bodies were later removed to the city mortuary.