By KANERE staff writer, February 2019
A shocking murder occurred at Kakuma Four (near Zone 1, Block 9), where a 3-year-old (approximate) male of unknown nationality was found dead and lying on the ground in the bush. It appears that the child was killed and dumped at the site by unknown persons. The body was discovered on the morning of February 3rd, shocking the local community.
The body was discovered opposite the main road. Refugees or hosts do not currently occupy the place. It is an area where some South Sudanese women, from Nuer community source firewood.
Residents of Block 9 were outraged by the incident. Naguwa, a South Sudan woman, exclaimed, “He was just a small boy. I do not believe why this thing happened. It is totally an evil thing.” Stephen, a resident of Block 8, told KANERE that the body was discovered by local women who were searching for firewood in the bush.
According to a local community member, who was on the scene after the body was discovered, the body was missing the left leg, the right hand, and both eyes. He also indicated that the missing parts of his leg and hand seemed to have been removed by knife, but rather severed from the joints. “It is really heart breaking, really terrible,” said Naguat, an LWF community worker in Block 8.
After the body was discovered, local security reported the matter to the Kenyan Police, who assessed the situation and then took the body to Kakuma refugee hospital for postmortem investigation. “It seems the boy was killed in another location and he was dumped in this desert,” said a local security official who spoke to KANERE.
The atmosphere among community members was dark. Annur, a resident of Block 9, told KANERE, “This kind of thing is related to witchcraft, I suspect this thing might be done by his close relatives.” Choul, a local staff for peace and safety, claimed that the area is empty and uncontrolled; leaving a risk those similar crimes could recur.
An unnamed officer from Kenya Police, who was at the scene when KANERE phoned to inquire about the situation, confirmed that the body is unidentified body.
He told a KANERE reporter that the family of deceased child is unknown and the motive of the killings has not yet been established. The case is still pending for further investigations.