{"id":464573,"date":"2011-07-20T07:52:16","date_gmt":"2011-07-20T07:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/07\/20\/police-grope-in-the-dark-over-meru-killings\/"},"modified":"2011-07-20T07:52:16","modified_gmt":"2011-07-20T07:52:16","slug":"police-grope-in-the-dark-over-meru-killings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/07\/20\/police-grope-in-the-dark-over-meru-killings\/","title":{"rendered":"Police Grope in the Dark Over Meru Killings"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Fred Mukinda and Patrick Nzioka<\/p>\n

19 July 2011<\/p>\n

\n

Nairobi \u2014 Undercover police officers have been sent to Meru following the murder of eight people.<\/p>\n

A police source familiar with the operation said their mission is to mingle with the community and dig up information that might solve the mystery killings.<\/p>\n

Three days after the night attacks at Karindine and Kigane villages, police still do not have any leads.<\/p>\n

Investigators have ruled out robbery, saying the modus operandi was not consistent with common criminals. The victims were stabbed more than once in the chest and six had their throats slit.<\/p>\n

Two survivors have described two men, who they say are the killers. Police officers close to the investigations told the Nation that investigators are pursuing three theories.<\/p>\n

First, that the killers are ex-convicts on a revenge mission against those who may have testified in their trials. Investigators have not ruled out an outlawed criminal gang, known for similar macabre killings.<\/p>\n

However, Meru has no history of such gangs and investigators suspect it may have made an attempt to penetrate the area. If so, the sources said, the victims may have been pioneer recruits who reneged after induction into the gang.<\/p>\n

Another school of thought is that the atrocities were meant to cow residents into submission once the gang starts operating in the area.<\/p>\n

Another theory is that the killings were the work of cult followers. Fear has gripped the area and residents are living under a self-imposed curfew since the Saturday night attacks.<\/p>\n

Unmistakably tall<\/strong><\/p>\n

Survivors and witnesses say though it was dark, the attackers were unmistakably tall and spoke in both Kiswahili and Kimeru.<\/p>\n

The two villages, especially Karindine in Imenti South, are heavily forested and have lots of banana trees and other vegetation as far as the eye can see.<\/p>\n

It would thus be difficult to see any one clearly in such pitch darkness or catch up with someone who disappears into the banana farms.<\/p>\n

The Nation team visited the Nkubu District hospital and talked to a survivor, Mr Eric Bundi. Mr Bundi, 22, has stab wounds in the chest.<\/p>\n

He said he was attacked by two people as he left a nearby shop at around 9pm.<\/p>\n

The attackers, who he says spoke in Kiswahili, stabbed him even as he handed over his mobile phone and Sh2,000 after they demanded the money and phone.<\/p>\n

“I met two people who demanded in Kiswahili that I hand over my phone and money. I obliged but they still stabbed me, leaving me for dead,” Mr Bundi said.<\/p>\n

Mrs Lucy Kajuju Mutua, the widow of primary school teacher Jacob Mutua, said she saw the attackers when they chased her away when she responded to cries for help from another survivor, Mr Phenius Mutugi.<\/p>\n

She said though she could not see clearly in the dark, the attacker who chased her was tall and spoke in both Kiswahili and Kimeru.<\/p>\n

“It is true we are looking for tall people who speak the two languages,” Imenti Central police boss Silvestre Githungo said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\nMore News on allAfrica.com<\/strong><\/legend>\n<\/fieldset>\n

AllAfrica – All the Time<\/p>\n

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View article:
\nPolice Grope in the Dark Over Meru Killings<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fred Mukinda and Patrick Nzioka 19 July 2011 Nairobi \u2014 Undercover police officers have been sent to Meru following the murder of eight people. A police source familiar with the operation said their mission is to mingle with the community and dig up information that might solve the mystery killings. Three days after the night attacks at Karindine and Kigane villages, police still do not have any leads. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-464573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nPolice Grope in the Dark Over Meru Killings - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/07\/20\/police-grope-in-the-dark-over-meru-killings\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Police Grope in the Dark Over Meru Killings - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Fred Mukinda and Patrick Nzioka 19 July 2011 Nairobi \u2014 Undercover police officers have been sent to Meru following the murder of eight people. 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