Kenyan Authorities Investigate Mass Exhumation of 33 Bodies from Hospital Morgue to Cemetery

Authorities in Kericho, western Kenya, have confirmed that 33 bodies, previously stored at the Nyamira District Hospital morgue, were exhumed from a cemetery affiliated with a local church. Reports indicate that a significant portion of these remains, at least 25, belonged to children and foetuses, with the remaining eight being adults.

The head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Mohamed Amin, stated that homicide detectives are actively examining whether the bodies were subjected to a lawful disposal process after their removal from the hospital. Under Kenyan law, unclaimed bodies must be authorised by a court for disposal after a 14-day period.

Autopsies are currently being conducted to ascertain the specific causes of death for each individual. At this stage, two individuals have been apprehended, and officials are pursuing information regarding claims that unauthorised persons transported the bodies in a government vehicle for a hasty burial.

Local residents have voiced demands for a transparent account of the events, seeking clarification on whether government entities were involved or if an independent group was responsible for orchestrating the mass burial. This incident adds to a growing concern, marking Kenya's third significant mass grave discovery in the last three years, following similar findings in Kilifi in 2023 and Nairobi in 2024. These discoveries coincide with increasing allegations of extrajudicial killings in the country.

The human rights organization, Missing Voices, has recorded 125 extrajudicial killings and six cases of enforced disappearances within the past year, an increase from the 104 killings reported in the preceding year. This data underscores the deepening concerns regarding human rights violations.