Eighteen unidentified male bodies have remained unclaimed at the Naivasha Sub-County Hospital mortuary for over six months, with hospital authorities now considering a mass burial in the coming weeks, a local daily reports.
Mortuary attendants have said that these bodies were brought to the facility between June and October 2024.
They are part of a total of 27 unclaimed bodies that could be buried in a mass grave if relatives fail to collect them within 21 days.
Records indicate that most of the bodies were taken to the mortuary by police officers between May and October 2024, a period that coincided with the youth-led anti-government protests.
This has led to questions about the circumstances surrounding their deaths, with human rights groups urging authorities to conduct thorough investigations.
Activists argue that some of the deceased could be among Kenyans who went missing during the demonstrations.
Nakuru Human Rights Network Director David Kuria has called for DNA testing before any burial takes place.
“We demand DNA tests to establish the identities of the bodies. The bodies should not be buried in a mass grave before families whose kin are still missing are given time to establish if the bodies belong to them. The truth must be known before they are buried in a mass grave as unknown and unclaimed bodies,” he said when speaking to a local publication.
Jesse Karanja of People’s Power Watch echoed these sentiments, calling on authorities to halt the burial process until the identities of the deceased are confirmed.
“We demand the immediate suspension of the planned burial of the bodies in a mass grave. Families, whose loved ones are missing, should be given an opportunity, through DNA tests, to find out if the bodies belong to them,” he said.
“That most of the bodies were male and were taken to the facility by the police raises many questions. We want the Inspector-General of Police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to intervene.”
Members of the public have been advised to visit the hospital if they have missing relatives as the list of unclaimed bodies contains details such as dates of admission and locations where they were found.
A 21-day notice has been issued for family members to identify and claim the bodies. Failure to do so will result in a mass burial at the Naivasha Public Cemetery (Longonot) once all legal requirements are fulfilled.
The hospital notice states that most of the bodies are in an advanced state of decomposition, making identification difficult.
Official records show that police officers from Naivasha and Mai Mahiu delivered many of the bodies on different dates, including July 2, June 28, June 20, June 13, and June 7, 2024.
Some were recorded as “casualties” upon arrival at the mortuary.
Other unclaimed bodies at the facility were brought in between February 2023 and June 2024.
Among them are Mary Ann Nyambura, Rose Riziki Kariuki, John Njoroge, Ruth Mula, Francis Mungai, Moran Ledara, Erusi Napotikan Alimu, Stephen Luwei, and Alex Kubai.
The discovery of these unclaimed bodies follows last year’s mass protests triggered by Parliament’s passage of the Finance Bill 2024.
The protests, which began on social media, escalated into nationwide demonstrations on June 18, 2024, led by youth demanding economic reforms, accountability, and an end to corruption.
As demonstrations continued, allegations of police brutality and enforced disappearances surfaced, with activists documenting cases of missing persons. President William Ruto later dissolved his Cabinet in response to the nationwide discontent.
