Pressure is mounting on the Nyamira County Department of Health Services to explain the circumstances surrounding the discovery of 33 bodies in a cemetery in Kericho, in a case that has raised serious concerns about the handling of unclaimed bodies across county lines.
The issue was formally brought before the Nyamira County Assembly during Wednesday’s sitting, where Rigoma MCA sought a comprehensive statement from the Health Department, demanding accountability and clarity on what is increasingly being viewed as a systemic lapse.
The discovery in Kericho has sparked public concern, particularly after it emerged that 13 of the bodies are believed to have originated from Nyamira County.
The DCI has since stated that all the 33 bodies discovered dumped at night in Kericho originated from Nyamira.
Six suspects earlier arrested had since been released as investigations extended into knowing the whereabouts of the families that lost their loved ones and are yet to claim them.
For weeks questions have been raised over how the bodies were transferred, documented, and ultimately buried outside the county.
Preliminary reports indicate that the bodies were buried in Kericho after being classified as unclaimed at the Nyamira County Mortuary.
However, the process through which they were declared unclaimed, as well as the legal and procedural steps followed before their burial, remain unclear.
Under Kenyan public health regulations, unclaimed bodies are typically held for a specified period to allow identification and claims by relatives before being disposed of through county-coordinated burials.
The transfer of such bodies across counties is expected to follow strict documentation and inter-county communication protocols.
The current controversy suggests possible gaps in these procedures, including incomplete records, delayed identification processes, or unauthorized transfers—issues that lawmakers say must be urgently addressed.
On Wednesday, the Assembly directed the County Department of Health Services to furnish it detailed information on several key areas.
These include full documentation relating to the 13 unclaimed bodies, to establish whether due process was followed before their disposal.
The Ward Reps further demanded a list of officials from Nyamira County Teaching and Referral Hospital who may have been involved in the handling and clearance of the bodies, signaling the possibility of individual accountability if wrongdoing is established.
The Assembly further wants a breakdown of all unclaimed bodies handled by the Nyamira County Mortuary over the past year, in a bid to assess whether the Kericho case is an isolated incident or part of a broader pattern.
Crucially, the MCAs are seeking a detailed history of the bodies buried in Kericho, including their source, identification status, and counties of origin as recorded at the mortuary.
The saga has also highlighted a long-standing challenge in Nyamira County—the absence of a designated public cemetery.
This gap has complicated the management of unclaimed bodies, often forcing authorities to seek alternative arrangements, including transfers to neighboring counties.
As a result, the Assembly has now tasked the Health Department with outlining concrete plans to establish a public cemetery within Nyamira County, a move seen as critical to restoring order and dignity in the handling of the deceased.
The revelations have triggered public outrage and renewed scrutiny of county health systems, particularly in relation to record-keeping, accountability, and respect for the dead.
The County Assembly, according to Gisesa, is expected to continue its probe in subsequent sittings, with the Health Department required to table its findings and responses.
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