The West Pokot County Security Committee has begun vetting all foreign nationals suspected of involvement in cannibalism and organ harvesting in the region.
The move comes after several individuals reportedly confessed to taking part in these gruesome crimes within the county.
The committee, on July 8, indicated that the vetting exercise is intended to unearth the true intentions of such foreigners who are staying in Kapenguria, Makutano, Bendera, and surrounding areas.
Speaking to the media, the committee indicated that the suspects are from Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.
“We respect the spirit of East African cooperation; we have free movement for our people; however, all suspects are from Uganda, and therefore, we’re taking these stern measures to establish their stay here and the activities they are involved in,” West Pokot County Commissioner Khalif Abdulahi said.
The committee revealed that the prime suspects who confessed to killing victims and consuming their bodies had been living along a road reserve in Bandera village.
In response, the committee issued an immediate directive to demolish all structures on road reserves and reclaimed land that housed foreign nationals.
“The prime suspects who have confessed to killing and eating their corpses were living along a road reserve within Bandera. Today I’ve directed this road reserve to be reclaimed, and we’re going to flatten all those structures they were living in within Bandera by close of business today,” the committee added.
During their confession, the suspects admitted to killing and eating eight school-going children. Authorities reportedly recovered several school uniforms believed to belong to the missing children, while others remain unaccounted for.
On Monday, a court in Kitale ordered age verification for the suspects accused of murder and cannibalism in Kapenguria, West Pokot County.
The court noted that six of the suspects are minors and cannot face trial until their exact ages are confirmed.
Meanwhile, investigators requested 30 more days to hold the suspects as they work to complete the ongoing investigations.
