Nakuru Appeals For Help Identifying 94 Unclaimed Bodies

By Our Correspondent

The County Government of Nakuru has raised alarm over the growing number of unclaimed bodies at the Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital mortuary, warning that the situation has become a public health concern requiring urgent intervention.

County health authorities say 94 unclaimed remains are currently being held at the facility, comprising 21 adult bodies and 73 foetuses and infants, with some having remained in storage for over an year.

According to a notice issued by the Department of Health Services through the Directorate of Public Health, efforts to trace relatives have failed, prompting authorities to issue a final public appeal before disposal.

“The prolonged retention of the remains has strained available mortuary space at the county’s main referral facility and posing a health hazard,” said Principal Public Health Officer George Gachomba.

He indicated that families and members of the public have been granted 21 days from the date of publication to identify and collect the remains before authorities proceed with the next legal steps.

Gachomba said the hospital had formally notified the County Commissioner and several government agencies, including the Registrar of Births and Deaths, the Kenya Police Service, the courts and investigators.

Records attached to the notice show that 14 of the adult bodies have been identified by name, while seven remain unidentified, including six listed as unknown African males and one unknown African female.

Among the identified adult bodies are David Keno, Mike Kariuki, David Kamau, Alfred Abitha, Babu Babu, Frances Karanja, Anthony Mwangi, Nicole Nelson, Mwangi Mwangi, Emily Hako, Okello Okello, John Njuguna and Samuel Njoroge.

“The office has exhausted all the available mechanism to trace their next of kin without success,” Gachomba stated while explaining why the hospital was seeking wider public assistance.

Hospital records show that some adult remains have been held since June 2025, while others were admitted between September 2025 and February 2026, highlighting the prolonged challenge of unclaimed cases.

Gachomba said the identification exercise is intended to give families a final opportunity to claim their loved ones before disposal, while ensuring compliance with applicable public health and mortuary management regulations.

He urged anyone who may have lost a relative or can assist in identifying any of the listed remains to contact the hospital immediately, reiterating that continued congestion poses growing public health risks.