Eighteen unclaimed bodies have remained at the Naivasha Sub-County Hospital mortuary for more than six months. Hospital officials have now announced a plan for a mass burial in the coming weeks.
A 21-day notice has been issued, urging relatives to come forward and identify the bodies before they are buried in a mass grave at the Naivasha Public Cemetery in Longonot. These bodies were taken to the mortuary between June and October 2024, with most of them reportedly brought in by police officers during that period.
The total number of unclaimed bodies at the facility stands at 27, and if families fail to collect them, they will all be buried together. The presence of so many unclaimed bodies, particularly from a time when there were anti-government protests, has raised suspicions among human rights groups and activists.
Many are questioning whether these bodies belong to missing persons from the demonstrations. Activists are calling for thorough investigations to establish the cause of death and whether the deceased were victims of police brutality.
David Kuria, the director of the Nakuru Human Rights Network, has demanded DNA testing before the mass burial takes place. He insists that the families of missing persons should be given time to confirm whether their loved ones are among the deceased.
He argues that burying them without proper identification would erase crucial evidence and deny families closure. Similarly, Jesse Karanja of People’s Power Watch has called for the immediate suspension of the burial, urging the Inspector-General of Police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to intervene and establish the truth.
The hospital’s records indicate that the bodies were found in different locations and brought in by police officers from Naivasha and Mai Mahiu. Some were labeled as casualties upon arrival, while others were discovered in unclear circumstances.
The list of unclaimed bodies includes details such as dates of admission and locations where they were found. Families with missing relatives have been urged to visit the hospital for possible identification, but authorities warn that decomposition has made recognition difficult.
The discovery of these unclaimed bodies comes in the aftermath of last year’s anti-government protests, which were sparked by the Finance Bill 2024. The protests, which gained momentum on social media before spilling into the streets, were led by young people demanding economic reforms and government accountability.
Reports of police brutality and enforced disappearances became widespread. Human rights organizations documented numerous cases of missing persons, many of whom have not been found to date.
The public outrage over these disappearances was a key factor in President William Ruto’s decision to dissolve his Cabinet.The growing concern over these unclaimed bodies has put pressure on authorities to conduct transparent investigations.
Many fear that mass burial without proper identification could be a cover-up for extrajudicial killings. The demand for DNA testing is seen as the only way to ensure that the truth is uncovered. Families whose loved ones are missing continue to hold onto hope that they will find answers.
Meanwhile, the hospital and local authorities insist that they are following legal procedures in dealing with unclaimed bodies. However, with only 21 days left before the planned mass burial, the pressure is mounting for a resolution that upholds both justice and human dignity.
