Nairobi — The name Kware has long been synonymous with waste, poverty, and neglect. But in July 2024, the sprawling dumpsite at the abandoned Kware quarry in Nairobi acquired a darker, more chilling association: a graveyard of women.
Police and horrified residents uncovered sacks stuffed with body parts, dumped carelessly amid garbage and rubble. By the time recovery efforts wound down, at least nine bodies—most in advanced decomposition—had been retrieved. Detectives said this was just the tip of the iceberg.
The prime suspect: Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, a man the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) believes masterminded the gruesome killings.
The Trail of Horror
Investigators allege Jumaisi operated with a precision that was both cold and methodical. Victims—mostly vulnerable women—were lured, killed, dismembered, and packed into nylon sacks before being abandoned at the Kware quarry.
Police evidence pointed directly at him: machetes, rolls of tape, rubber gloves, nylon sacks, and mobile phones allegedly belonging to the dead. Identity cards and SIM cards linked him to multiple women who vanished without trace.
Shockingly, detectives said he confessed to killing 42 women, among them his wife, Imelda Judith Khalenya.
The Escape That Shamed the Police
On July 15, 2024, detectives arrested Jumaisi, parading him as the monster behind the Kware killings. Prosecutors quickly moved to hold him as a high-profile murder suspect.
But on August 20, in a development that left the National Police Service reeling, Jumaisi escaped custody from Gigiri Police Station. Held with 12 Eritrean nationals, the group cut through wire mesh in an outdoor prison yard and scaled the perimeter wall.
How one of Kenya’s most dangerous suspects could simply walk away exposed staggering lapses in police accountability. Senior officers were forced to explain how a man accused of butchering dozens of women was not in maximum security.
DCI’s Bounty and Public Anger
Now, the DCI has put out a Ksh1 million bounty for information leading to his arrest.
“Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, the prime suspect in the monstrous killing of several women whose bodies and parts were retrieved from the Kware dumpsite in Nairobi, is still wanted,” DCI said in a statement on Tuesday.
Hotlines and WhatsApp numbers have been circulated, with detectives urging the public to “#FichuaKwaDCI.”
But the reward has raised fresh questions: Why should citizens be relied upon to finish the job when police let him slip through their hands?
A Dumpsite Turned Killing Field
The Kware quarry dumpsite had long been an eyesore, but few imagined it was concealing a mass grave. Families of missing women now flock to police stations with photos, hoping to find closure.
Residents say the site was poorly monitored despite being notorious for crime. The discovery has forced uncomfortable conversations about urban neglect, women’s safety, and law enforcement’s blind spots.
One local elder summed up the fear: “For years we thought Kware only buried our garbage. Now we know it buried our daughters too.”
The Bigger Picture: Failures in the System
The Jumaisi case highlights a cocktail of systemic failures:
Policing gaps — a high-risk detainee escaping from a city police station under flimsy guard.
Judicial delays — prosecutors sought more time as bodies piled up, but victims’ families still await justice.
Social neglect — vulnerable women remain targets in Nairobi’s informal settlements, often with little state protection.
For activists, Jumaisi is not just a fugitive but a symptom of deeper governance rot.
The Manhunt Continues
As of now, Collins Jumaisi remains at large. Whether he is hiding in Nairobi’s underbelly, across the border, or shielded by criminal networks, no one knows. What is certain is that every day he remains free deepens the pain of victims’ families and erodes public faith in the justice system.
The Kware dumpsite is no longer just a landfill. It is a scar on Nairobi’s conscience—a reminder that monsters can thrive when systems fail.
The question that lingers is stark: Will Collins Jumaisi be caught before he kills again?
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