NAIROBI, Kenya – Nairobi County has issued a seven-day ultimatum for the collection of 355 unclaimed bodies lying in various mortuaries across the city, warning that they will be disposed of if not retrieved within the stipulated timeframe.
In a public notice, Nairobi County Secretary Godfrey Akumali urged families to visit the designated morgues to identify and collect their loved ones.
Failure to do so will prompt the county to seek legal approval for mass disposal under the Public Health Act (Cap 242).
The unclaimed bodies are currently housed in three main facilities: 238 at Nairobi City Funeral Home (City Mortuary), 62 at Mama Lucy Kibaki Funeral Home, and 55 at Mbagathi Funeral Home.
Many of the deceased are believed to have died from accidents, suicide, mob justice, drowning, shootings, homicide, and natural causes.
Public health officials have raised concerns over the rising number of unclaimed bodies, citing storage constraints and the financial strain on public mortuaries.
The issue of unclaimed bodies is not new. Between 2003 and 2006, Nairobi’s City Mortuary disposed of 2,500 unclaimed bodies, while Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) mortuary handled 3,000 within the same period.
In 2006, both facilities reported massive revenue losses due to bodies that remained uncollected for extended periods.
The notice serves as a final call for families to claim their loved ones before the county proceeds with mass burials.
