Lang’ata cemetery in Nairobi County, which was declared full more than a decade ago, could soon be closed.
City Hall now says it has secured 100 acres at Kamiti Prison and 50 acres at Embakasi Garrison that will be converted into cemeteries.
This was revealed by Chief Officer for Public Health Tom Nyakaba while appearing before the Nairobi County Assembly Health Committee.
“The Langata cemetery is full and we are burying our people on top of another people, so it is pathetic such that when someone is coming for a memorial you are not sure if it is really your kin,” Nyakaba stated
Not long ago a task force formed in 2024 to investigate the health risks has sounded the alarm with grim findings. The seven-member task force, made up of health professionals, presented its report to Parliament’s Health Committee recently.
Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni supported the committee’s recommendation that the cemetery be de-gazetted, citing its serious threat to public health.
“If we are to safeguard public health and promote a healthier, safer society, then the committee’s recommendations must be implemented without delay,” the PS stated.
However, the report also notes a troubling gap — the taskforce stated that the cemetery was declared full a decade ago, there was no documentary evidence to support that. In the absence of alternatives, the county has since resorted to double burials and temporary sections of the site — practices that raise both ethical and environmental concerns.
The cemetery is neither secure nor properly fenced. Wild animals forage within, including scavengers and burrowing warthogs capable of unearthing shallow graves. The task force reported seeing unmarked graves, with team members unknowingly stepping on fresh but undocumented burial sites — an experience they described as “psychologically unacceptable”.
“Shallow burials of human remains present significant environmental hazards, including soil and underground water contamination,” the report warned.
