By Our Correspondent
Stillbirths account for the largest number of unclaimed bodies at the Nakuru County Public Mortuary – Annex (Kwa Jack) and risk disposal in mass graves if they remain unclaimed in the coming days, official records show.
Out of 38 unclaimed bodies listed by the mortuary, 21 are infants recorded as stillbirths that were collected from different parts of the County brought in by police officers.
A source at the facility said most of the bodies are linked to abortions or infants abandoned and dumped shortly after birth, underscoring an ugly pattern behind the unclaimed remains.
The remaining 17 are adults whose deaths were attributed to a range of causes including sudden death, drowning, road accidents, suicide, murder, natural causes and mob injustice.
A notice issued by the facility indicates the bodies have remained unclaimed for more than three months, leading to congestion and decomposition.
“The office has exhausted all the available mechanism to trace their next of kin without trace,” said Rachel Waithera Mwangi, the Public Health Officer at Annex Hospital – Nakuru in a notice dated November 17, 2025.
The hospital has sought assistance from the County Commissioner to help trace relatives. If no claimant comes forward within 21 days from the date of the notice, the hospital says the bodies will be disposed of at the Nakuru South Cemetery, in line with procedure.
The hospital attached detailed lists of the unclaimed adults and infants, including dates, locations and police escorts involved in bringing the bodies to the mortuary. Officials say the disposal is necessary to decongest the facility.