Kenyatta Hospital to dispose of 124 unclaimed bodies in 7 days

Kenyatta National Hospital has issued a public notice announcing plans to dispose of 124 unclaimed bodies currently lying at its Farewell Home, if they are not identified and collected within seven days.

The hospital on Tuesday appealed to the public to help in identifying and claiming the bodies before it seeks court approval for disposal.

"Kenyatta National Hospital is in possession of a number of unclaimed bodies at its Farewell Home. Interested members of the public are therefore requested to identify and collect the bodies within 7 days, failure to which the hospital will seek authority from the courts to dispose of them," the notice read.

Among the 124 bodies are 91 babies and 33 adults. Most have remained in the mortuary for extended periods without being claimed.

If no action is taken, the bodies are likely to be buried in mass graves, as allowed by the law.

The hospital’s decision is based on the Public Health Act (Cap 242), which states that a body cannot remain in a mortuary for more than 10 days without being claimed.

If it is still unclaimed after 21 days, a 14-day public notice must be issued, followed by a court order to authorize disposal.

Unclaimed bodies are usually buried in public cemeteries without traditional rites, mainly to create space in the already congested morgues.

Public health officers have raised concern over the rising number of unclaimed bodies at major hospitals.

In the past, City Mortuary and Kenyatta National Hospital have faced similar situations. Between 2003 and 2006, over 5,500 unclaimed bodies were disposed of from the two facilities.

During that period, more than 1,500 bodies were disposed of in five months, leading to a revenue loss of about Sh5 million.

Authorities have stressed the urgency of timely collection to avoid such losses and to ensure dignity for the deceased.