About 32 bodies, mostly children, have been dug up from a mass grave in the western Kenyan town of Kericho as investigations continue into the shocking discovery.
The exhumation was done after the police obtained a court order to retrieve 14 bodies that were initially believed to have been buried at the site.
Government pathologist Richard Njoroge described the situation as quite unusual, reporting that bodies were found stacked in gunny bags. A post-mortem examination is scheduled to commence, amidst urgent calls to identify the victims and investigate the cause of death.
Njoroge indicated that the discovery included seven adults and 25 children, the latter being primarily infants and fetuses. Some bodies appeared to have originated from local hospitals and mortuaries, though this will be confirmed post-autopsy.
The pathologist also noted the advanced decomposition of the adult remains compared to the children’s bodies, suggesting different timings of death.
On Monday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations revealed that 13 unclaimed bodies had been released from a neighboring hospital and transported to Kericho for burial under questionable circumstances.
This incident raises important questions about the additional bodies found, their burial method, and the location's ownership by the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), which claims no involvement.
Two suspects, including a public health officer and a cemetery caretaker, have been arrested in connection to the matter as the investigation escalates. Human rights group Vocal Africa referred to the find as a staggering and horrific escalation demanding accountability and a thorough investigation, with ongoing concerns about potential mutilation discovered among the remains.
This distressing revelation follows previous mass deaths linked to a cult in Kenya, where hundreds of bodies were uncovered in 2023, highlighting persistent issues of violence and public health in the region.
