Authorities on Wednesday, September 6 recovered the remains of a middle-aged man from an underground septic tank that had been dug along the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) fuel line in Lolwe Maua Estate, Kisumu Central Constituency.
This marks the second body found in the tunnel following the police’s discovery of an illegal fuel siphoning operation from an underground tank at a residential building. The first body was retrieved on Tuesday within the tunnel that had been dug by the suspects along the Nakuru-Kisumu route.
The bodies were found by the KPC emergency team that was conducting excavation work to identify the source of the fuel siphoning activity for repair purposes.
Kisumu County Police Commander Alphonse Wambua Kimanthi said the body was moved to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) pending a postmortem and identification.
Kimanthi mentioned that authorities were unable to establish how long the bodies had been in the tank.
“We cannot at the moment convey the details but investigations are underway,” said the police boss.
On Tuesday, residents of the Lolwe Maua estate noticed an oil spill originating from one of the residential houses located adjacent to the pipeline.
The suspects apparently constructed an underground tank disguised as a septic tank. They connected an underground pipe to the primary KPC pipeline, diverting oil into this tank.
The oil spillage emitted a strong petrol odor, causing concern among the residents and exposing the illicit activity.
According to neighbors, a white pickup truck has been regularly seen visiting the premises in the evenings, often carrying drums.
A joint search conducted by police officers and KPC officials on the property uncovered the underground tank filled with fuel. The occupants of the house fled the scene and were yet to be located.
The collaborative operation involving KPC engineers, police, and firefighters was concluded Tuesday.
