Three more bodies found in River Yala, count rises to 30

Three more unknown bodies have been found rotting in River Yala, days after 27 others were retrieved.

This now brings the number to 30, according to Nicholas Okero Okite, the local diver who has been helping with the retrieval of the corpses.

Samuel Amodha, a cattle herder in Jina Village in Gem, Siaya county, told the Star that he stumbled upon the bodies a few days ago when he was watering his cows at the river.

"I found this body trapped on this huge stone inside the river bed. On a closer look, I saw another one; and again another one," Amodha recounted.

"Another one is rotting at the base of the papyrus and another has been pushed further downstream," Amodha said when the Star toured River Yala on Friday.

The Star Correspondent on the beat counted two badly decomposed bodies in the river.

One of the bodies of a male victim had no clothes. The body was badly decomposed to the point of flesh pealing off.

The legs had broken knee bones. 

A few meters downstream lay a second body. Yet another body was sprawled on top of a rock . It's skull was exposed.

The government is yet to unravel the identity of those behind the perceived killings as all the bodies retrieved from the river bear the hallmarks of torture and murder.

Fredrick Ojiro, human rights activist based in Siaya County reacted in disbelief to what he witnessed. 

"No! No! Jesus Christ!"

"What we have seen is horrific. I have seen a body whose eyes were blindfolded and the mouth tightly wrapped in cloth, a clear indication that there was torture," Ojiro said.

"It is unbelievable that this is happening in Kenya," Ojiro narrated his experience with tears rolling down his cheeks.

Further downstream were some young men who were mining precious stones from the river bed.

They previosuly relied on the water from the river to quench their thirst as they worked. Not anymore. 

"This water is no longer safe for consumption. Lately, I stay thirsty following reports that human beings are rotting upstream," one of the miners said.

The Star also learnt that locals fetch the very water in buckets for drinking and other domestic use.

River Yala, after Ndanu falls, has about seven tributaries.

It is believed that the tributary where the three bodies are currently stuck are were not combed when the initial bodies were being retrieved.

Activist Ojiro is now calling on the government to comb the entire River Yala.

"We believe that there are still more bodies," Ojiro said.

He added, "We want the bodies thrown here can be retrieved and identified for their families to have peace."