Autopsy on eight more bodies discovered at a mass grave in Kericho gave varied results as officials continued with investigations into the saga.
Police in Kericho East Sub-County say postmortem examinations on eight bodies were completed on March 27, 2026, shedding more light on the possible causes of death, even as key questions remain unanswered.
The autopsies, conducted on March 27 by a team of government pathologists led by Dr. Richard Njoroge, Dr. Donar Nyahunga, and Dr. Naomi Ariaga, revealed that all eight victims were male.
Causes of death varied significantly, pointing to a complex and possibly prolonged sequence of events.
Two of the bodies had undetermined causes of death, while others were attributed to pneumonia, septicemia, advanced heart disease, pulmonary thromboembolism, head injury, and a combination of choking and head trauma.
Investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are now working to piece together the circumstances surrounding the deaths, with authorities not ruling out foul play in some of the cases.
Health officials from both Kericho and Nyamira County were present during the examinations, underscoring the scale and sensitivity of the operation.
The saga has taken a new turn after authorities confirmed that 33 bodies recovered from a suspected mass grave are currently preserved at the Kericho Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary.
Meanwhile, another suspect identified as Jason Machoru Nyarabi has been arrested in connection with the case.
He was arraigned before a Kericho court, which granted investigators 25 days to detain him as inquiries continue.
An earlier postmortem revealed that four of the 25 children exhumed from the secret grave died from head injuries, while 10 were found to have died from premature birth.
After a day-long forensic exercise to unravel the mystery surrounding 33 bodies recovered from a mass grave at Makaburini Cemetery in Kericho County, investigators led by Dr Njoroge emerged with disturbing findings.
Dr Njoroge revealed Thursday that four children died from head injuries, while 10 were determined to have died from premature birth. In two cases, the cause of death could not be established.
“Prematurity as a cause of death, we found in 10, and then some sort of head injuries we found in 4,” said Njoroge.
Among the children, eight were identified as male and 10 as female, while the gender of the other seven remains undetermined due to the severe state of decomposition.
“They were in various stages of decomposition; only a few are fresh. Others were severely decomposed. In terms of age, some were infants,” he noted.
The first phase of the post-mortem examinations focused on the 25 children recovered.
A total of 33 bodies were recovered following the discovery of the mass graves at the county cemetery last Saturday.
A discovery in Kericho has sparked national outrage after authorities exhumed 33 bodies—most believed to be children—from a mass grave, despite a court order authorizing the burial of only 13.
Others were badly decomposed.
The discrepancy has raised serious questions about procedural violations, possible criminal liability, and the specter of a wider cover-up involving public institutions.
Documents obtained by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) indicate that only 13 bodies had been legally cleared for burial.
These included eight adults, one child, three foetuses, and a set of stillborn twins, as confirmed in official correspondence from Nyamira County Referral Hospital to the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Nyamira.
However, the remaining 20 bodies—undocumented and unexplained—were buried without any court authorization, igniting concerns over how such a breach could occur without detection.
According to KHRC, the burial process appears to have been conducted without proper documentation, coordination, or oversight from county health authorities. This has cast a spotlight on the roles of hospital officials, cemetery management, and law enforcement agencies.
So far, neither hospital authorities nor police have provided a credible account for the additional bodies.
The discovery has sent shockwaves across the region, with residents calling for swift justice and clear answers.
Authorities have urged the public to remain calm as investigations intensify, promising that no effort will be spared in uncovering the truth behind one of the most disturbing incidents in the area’s recent history.
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