KNH to dispose of unclaimed bodies of 475 babies
The Accident and Emergency section of the Kenyatta National Hospital.
What you need to know:
- Public Health Act requires that an unclaimed body be removed from a mortuary within two weeks.
- If not, it should be buried in a mass grave after public officers obtain permission from a court.
Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has notified the public that it plans to dispose of 541 bodies if they are not identified and claimed in the next seven days.
Among them are over 475 babies and 66 adults who are likely to be buried in mass graves if their loved ones will not identify them in the coming days.
KNH said that out of the 66 adult bodies, seven are female and the remaining 59 are male.
In a public notice published in this week’s MyGov, the hospital said it is acting in compliance with Public Health Act Cap 242 Subsidiary legislation Public Health Public Mortuaries rules, 1991.
"Pursuant to Public Health Act Cap 242, interested members of the public are therefore requested to identify and collect the bodies within seven days, failure to which the hospital will seek authority from the courts to dispose of them," KNH said.
According to the list released by KNH, children are the most affected group by this seemingly growing problem.
Many children die at the largest referral hospital in the country every month, but their bodies are never claimed.
The Public Health Act requires that an unclaimed body be removed from a mortuary within two weeks.
If not, it should be buried in a mass grave after public officers obtain permission from a court.
The hospital said a list of the names of the unclaimed bodies is available at the KNH Farewell Home and can also be accessed through the institution’s website.
Various hospitals across Nairobi County have continued to bear the burden of preserving unclaimed bodies in their facilities.
Last week, Nairobi County notified city residents that they had seven days to identify the bodies of their loved ones lying at the City Mortuary, Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital and Mbagathi Hospital mortuaries.
Failure to do so within this time frame will result in the Nairobi County Government disposing of all the 185 unclaimed bodies.
City Mortuary has 130 unclaimed bodies, Mbagathi Hospital Mortuary has 38 and Mama Lucy Hospital Mortuary has 17.
The unclaimed bodies have accumulated in the mortuaries between September 2021 and December 2023, with their registrations stemming from multiple police stations.
