Kenya: Mystery of Tana 'mass graves' depeens

  1. Posted on Friday 21 September 2012 - 06:08
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    Edmond Ronoh, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
    The exhumation exercise of suspected mass graves discovered early this week in Tana River District of Eastern Kenya came up with no bodies. The three hour dig up exercise that started on Thursday morning and apprehensively awaited by many, was witnessed on-scene by government officials, journalists and hundreds of curious onlookers. The exhumation was effected after a court order for the exercise was issued on Tuesday.
    kenya map
    Workers heaped mounds of earth, sticks and stones aside as they dug up the two spots that have been on the headlines lately. An overwhelming stench filled the area as the workers progressed but eventually, all the graves yielded was a nauseating smell, blood-stained sticks, a rotting human foot and more questions.

    A government pathologist from the nearby Coast Provincial General Hospital opined that these factors were highly indicative of prior presence of already decomposing corpses that could have been removed or transferred elsewhere. He continues to hint that given that the site is only 50 meters from the vast Tana River, the bodies could have been dumped there.

    A senior GSU officer at the scene told journalists that the graves looked freshly dug and that some villagers had confirmed that they were aware of four people buried there. The villagers’ claims could not be immediately confirmed.

    There was a mixture of feelings concerning the dramatic turn of events. Sentiments by Kenyans on social media expressed a mixture of emotions ranging from confusion, relief, anger, to outright suspicion. A majority of Kenyans on Twitter gave their opinions, many suspicious of a cover up plot.

    The official government position on the developing events is still being awaited.

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