Kenya Insights

Tag: Lang’ata Cemetery

  • Nairobi to Relocate Cemetery Operations to Kamiti Prison Grounds as Lang’ata Reaches Breaking Point

    Nairobi to Relocate Cemetery Operations to Kamiti Prison Grounds as Lang’ata Reaches Breaking Point

    Nairobi County government has secured 150 acres of land to establish new cemeteries, with the bulk of the space coming from a 100-acre allocation at Kamiti Prison, as authorities scramble to address the chronic shortage of burial space that has plagued the capital for over two decades.

    The acquisition, which also includes 50 acres at Embakasi Garrison, represents the county’s most significant move yet to ease pressure on the overcrowded Lang’ata Cemetery, which was officially declared full in 2001 but continues to operate as the city’s primary burial ground.

    Chief Officer for Public Health Tom Nyakaba, addressing members of the Nairobi County Assembly, confirmed that both sites are currently being prepared for public use.

    The development comes as Lang’ata Cemetery continues to handle approximately 30 burials per week, forcing families into increasingly desperate measures including shallow graves and alternative burial practices.

    “We have secured 100 acres at Kamiti and 50 acres at Embakasi Garrison to serve as new burial sites. These spaces are being prepared and will be ready for use shortly,” Nyakaba told the assembly committee.

    The move signals a pragmatic shift in approach after years of failed attempts to secure alternative burial grounds.

    Previous efforts have been marred by scandal and bureaucratic obstacles, most notably the 2009 Mavoko land purchase that cost the county millions in a high-profile corruption case.

    Despite its official closure status, Lang’ata Cemetery remains the preferred choice for many Nairobi families due to its central location and accessibility via public and private transport networks.

    This preference has created a bottleneck that the county hopes the new facilities will help alleviate.

    The county currently operates nine cemeteries, most under community management, including sites at Forest Road, Pangani, Mutuini, Uthiru, Southlands, Kariokor Christian, Ruai, and land near the National Police Service. Plans are underway to bring these facilities under unified county oversight to improve efficiency and coordination.

    Previous initiatives to expand burial capacity have encountered significant obstacles. Proposals to purchase land in Kajiado County and acquire forest land adjacent to Lang’ata failed due to legal, financial, and regulatory complications.

    Talks between the now-defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services and the Kenya Forest Service in 2021 similarly yielded no concrete results.

    The persistent shortage has forced some families to consider cremation, though this practice has not gained widespread acceptance in Kenya’s predominantly Christian and Muslim communities.

    The new facilities at Kamiti and Embakasi represent the county’s most tangible progress in addressing the burial space crisis that has affected thousands of families over the past two decades.

    County officials have not yet announced opening dates for the new cemeteries, but the acquisition marks a significant step toward resolving one of Nairobi’s most pressing public health challenges.

  • How A Supermarket Receipt Gave Detectives A Breakthrough In Linking Eastleigh Murder Suspect To Lang’ata Horrific Killing

    How A Supermarket Receipt Gave Detectives A Breakthrough In Linking Eastleigh Murder Suspect To Lang’ata Horrific Killing

    A supermarket receipt has helped  Nairobi police solve the puzzle of a severely mutilated body found near Lang’ata Cemetery.

    On October 31, authorities discovered the dismembered and boiled body of Deka Abdinoor Gorone, a resident of the California Estate in Nairobi, dumped at the Lang’ata Cemetery entrance.

    Investigators have now identified her alleged killer as Hashim Dagane Muhumed, a man linked to other recent murders in Nairobi.

    The investigation into Deka’s death began when her family reported her missing on October 24, a report filed at the California Police Station. Detectives tracked her last known movements following her disappearance thanks to CCTV footage, a series of digital trails, and, crucially, a receipt from a supermarket near her last known location.

    Deka’s last known sighting was in Nairobi’s Lavington area, where she had travelled to meet Hashim. The two checked into a short-stay room. Before joining him, CCTV footage captured Deka shopping at a nearby supermarket, where she paid via M-Pesa, Kenya’s mobile payment system. After collecting her receipt, she placed it in her pocket and exited the store, unaware of its significance.

    Police searching the scene recovered the receipt after discovering her body in a black plastic bag near the cemetery. They used it as a critical lead, identifying the supermarket and retrieving transaction details. Through digital forensics, they traced the mobile number used to pay for the shopping to Deka’s registered M-Pesa account, confirming her identity.

    When detectives reached out to her family, they were able to identify her as Deka, the woman seen on CCTV. The family, already distressed by her unexplained disappearance, was devastated by the grim discovery.

    The victim Deka Abdinoor Gorone and her alleged killer Hashim Dagane Muhumed.

    Upon identifying her, detectives intensified their investigation by scrutinising her phone records. They discovered a string of conversations using a phone number belonging to Hashim, the primary suspect. This connection led them to an apartment in Lavington, where Deka had allegedly spent her last hours in the company of Hashim.

    During a search of the apartment, authorities discovered some of Deka’s personal belongings, including her shoes and handbag. They also recovered a panga, a machete-like tool believed to have been used in the murder. CCTV footage from October 31 shows Hashim leaving the apartment with two bags, which police suspect contained Deka’s remains, later dumped at Lang’ata Cemetery.

    Use of chemicals

    Detectives believe the killer used a chemical to meticulously strip the bones of flesh. The motive behind the murder remains unclear, though Hashim’s connection to several murders suggests a disturbing pattern of violence.

    Hashim’s background only deepened the horror surrounding the case. Investigators discovered that he was previously a regional police officer in Ethiopia before moving to Kenya. In Nairobi, he worked as a driver at various schools in Eastleigh and managed to blend into the local community.

    This isn’t Hashim’s first brush with the law. He had already been linked to the murders of three members of a family in Eastleigh: Amina Abdirashid, her aunt Waris Dahabo Daud, and her niece Nusayba Abdi Mohammed. Despite this history, Hashim remained elusive, shifting between Eastleigh and Lavington while occasionally venturing as far as Somalia and Ethiopia to evade capture.

    The search for Hashim took a critical turn when an informant tipped off the police about his whereabouts. Surveillance footage from November 2 captured Hashim casually leaving a building in Eastleigh, which he frequented to scout for taxi customers. This sighting triggered an intensified manhunt, with investigators closely monitoring his movements through forensic trails and employing digital tracking to narrow down his location.

    After days of evading arrest, Hashim finally surrendered when police surrounded the building where he was hiding. Realising escape was impossible, he was taken into custody on Sunday. Police discovered multiple fake identification documents in his possession, including a counterfeit Kenyan ID, raising questions about how he had managed to operate under the radar for so long.

    With Hashim in custody, police are working to unravel the motive behind Deka’s killing. They are also investigating whether he had accomplices who helped him carry out the elaborate cover-up and dispose of the evidence. Among the unanswered questions is the whereabouts of Deka’s mobile phone, from which her family reported receiving a call on the day of her discovery.

    The landlord of the Lavington apartment, now missing, is also cited as a person of interest. After Hashim’s departure, the landlord reportedly repainted the rooms and cleared any evidence of the crime before disappearing, suggesting possible involvement or knowledge of the events that transpired.