Body of second man seized in Mombasa found in Thika mortuary

Two weeks after suspected drug baron Masuo Bakari Tajiri’s body was found in a thicket in Lari, Kiambu County, the body of a man reportedly abducted alongside him has been found.

Mr Fahmi Bakari Shekuwe’s body was found at the General Kago Funeral Home, where it was taken on December 7, two days after the two were grabbed by unknown people and their vehicle abandoned in Mariakani on the Mombasa-Nairobi highway.

Human rights pressure group Haki Africa confirmed the body of Shekuwe had bruises and cuts to the head. His family has asked the group to help conduct a postmortem today (Monday) to establish the cause of his death.

“Our officers were at the mortuary on Sunday and identified the body of Shekuwe after his family gave us details of his birthmarks, which we used to identify him,” said Haki Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid. 

“He was brought to the morgue by police as per the mortuary records, which shows he was murdered. But we suspect foul play.”
Shekuwe was picked up on December 5 in Mazeras alongside his best friend Hussein Mohamed Hussein and accompanied Tajiri to go purchase a matatu in Thika and Limuru.

They did not buy the matatu, after realising it had engine problems, and decided to return to Mombasa. On their way home, they were allegedly abducted by armed people.

Last December, Tajiri’s co-accused Fatuma Sicobo Mohamed was jailed for life for trafficking 2,466.4 grams of heroin worth more than Sh7.3 million but he was acquitted for lack of evidence.

When the judgment was issued on December 15, Tajiri, who was also facing a similar charge, was nowhere to be found to celebrate his acquittal.

Two weeks after his acquittal, his lifeless body was discovered by a family friend lying at City Mortuary in Nairobi.

The body of the businessman, who had a fleet of matatus, had been found in a thicket in Lari on January 7. Mr Hussein used to manage some of his matatus in Kisauni while Shekuwe was a tout.

“The family of the late Shekuwe also came in the afternoon and after seeing the body and looking at his body marks, they confirmed that it was him. However, Hussein’s whereabouts is still unknown,” added Mr Khalid.

Mr Khalid said the group was working with the police for the body to be released for burial.

“We are calling for the return of many other Kenyans who are still missing. It is unacceptable that people go missing and are found murdered in mortuaries or rivers. 

“We call on the security authorities to be open with Kenyans and let us know what the government policy is on extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearance.”

Haki Africa said Shekuwe was the eighth person found dead this year after going missing. Some 150 people disappeared last year, Mr Khalid said.

The majority, he added, were suspects with cases in court or police records.

Tajiri was buried at a cemetery in Mwandoni. A postmortem report from pathologist Simon Omuok showed he was severely tortured and later strangled. 

[email protected]