Eldoret is not sleeping easy tonight. A man received a parcel with three human fingers tied neatly with six live bullets. This is the kind of delivery that makes you double-check your doors and start wondering who wants you off the map.
The man told police that on Friday, August 8, he got a call from someone he did not know. The stranger told him he had a parcel for him. Without asking too many questions, the man shared his location. The caller then sent a rider to deliver it.
At the time, the man was in a bar. Maybe he thought the parcel was something harmless, like a phone charger or a gift. But when the rider arrived and he opened the envelope, his drink must have gone cold. Inside were three human fingers and six live bullets.
Police say the package had a forefinger, a ring finger, and a little finger, all from the left hand. Alongside them were four 7.62mm bullets and two 9mm bullets. There was no note, no warning, no βhope you are wellβ message. Just body parts and ammunition.
The fingers were taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary for verification. The bullets were sent for ballistic testing. Police at the scene confirmed that this was not a prank delivery gone wrong.
Investigators are now working to find the sender. The rider who delivered the package has been questioned. The senderβs phone is off. Officers also want to know who the fingers belonged to. They have taken fingerprints for analysis. Police believe the victim may have been killed or mutilated.
This strange delivery has shocked Eldoret residents. But if you follow Kenyan crime stories, you know this is not the first bizarre case in recent months.
Earlier this year in Kericho, a man was beheaded. His head was found inside a sufuria at a home in Kipkelion. The rest of his body was found one kilometre away in a culvert. That is not the kind of treasure hunt anyone wants to play.
The gruesome discovery sparked protests in Koisagat Market on February 19. Residents accused a local businessman of being behind the murder and blamed him for insecurity in the area. Police had to restore order as the crowd demanded answers.
And just last week, in Ongata Rongai, a completely different kind of tragedy happened. A passenger was found dead inside a matatu. The bus was heading to Ongata Rongai when the crew realised that a man in the second row from the back was not moving. They rushed him to Sinai Hospital, but doctors confirmed he was already dead.
An ID found in his pocket named him as 63-year-old Abednego Musyimi Kinyili. His body is now at the Ongata Rongai Sub-County Hospital morgue awaiting a post-mortem.
Back in Eldoret, police are taking this case seriously. Delivering human fingers and live bullets is not an everyday act, even in a country that has seen its fair share of shocking crimes. Investigators say the combination could mean a warning, a threat, or a very grim message from one group to another.
Featured image via Screengrab