Woman's mutilated body found stuffed in a bag in Kakamega

Police in Kakamega on Tuesday recovered mutilated body parts of a woman stuffed in a travelling bag from a river, sending shockwaves in nearby villages.

The body was found dumped near the banks of River Lidambitasa along Kakamega-Kisumu road, just a short distance from a bridge under construction.

The identity of the woman was not immediately known but she is suspected to have been killed elsewhere and her dumped in the area.

The killers wrapped the torso in bandages and a blanket and appear to have used a hacksaw to cut off the head and legs from the body.

Residents from neighbouring villages in Iguhu sub-location milled at the scene in disbelief as police officers opened the bag to find out the contents and take photos.

A group of villagers who had gone to the river early in the morning to harvest sand stumbled on the bag and opened it.

But they got a rude shock after they noticed the blanket was soaked in blood and informed police officers.

The section of the river where the body was found is usually a hive of activity during the day as villagers flock to harvest sand.

Traffic on the road was disrupted after motorists heading to Kakamega and Kisumu stopped at the scene to find out what had happened.

The divisional police boss Mr Bernstein Shari said investigations had been launched to identify the victim and find her killers.

“We are looking at different scenarios in our investigations and including the possibility that the woman could have been murdered elsewhere before her body was mutilated and packed into the bag,” said Mr Shari.

He said detectives had recorded statements from witnesses who were helping with the investigations.

The body was taken to the Kakamega County Referral Hospital mortuary.