The autopsy report on eight adult bodies and six dismembered body parts exhumed from a mass grave at Makaburini Cemetery in Kericho County has revealed varied causes of death, including a combination of violent trauma and underlying medical conditions.
Government Pathologist Dr. Richard Njoroge released the preliminary findings on the adult remains among the 33 exhumed bodies on Saturday, March 28, 2026. The remains were recovered on March 24, 2026.
Dr. Njoroge’s report indicated that at least two of the eight adult males showed clear signs of fatal blunt-force head injuries, some combined with choking or strangulation.
“One died of choking, another from hypertension and heart disease, one from severe pneumonia infections, severe infections resulting from compound fractures on both legs, and severe abdominal infections,” Dr. Njoroge stated.
He added: “Another had a clot in the lungs preventing blood circulation, while two others died from head injuries caused by blunt objects, leading to multiple skull fractures.”
Dr. Njoroge clarified that the six dismembered body parts (hands and legs) were all cases of surgical amputations due to chronic illness and should be treated as medical specimens rather than complete bodies.
All adult bodies were in advanced stages of decomposition, significantly more advanced than many of the child remains, suggesting they had been dead for weeks or months before burial.
Several showed signs of prior clinical handling, such as hospital-style wrappings or tags, indicating they may have been relocated from mortuaries or medical facilities.
The dismembered body parts were examined separately and displayed clean-cut or saw-mark edges consistent with post-mortem dismemberment or surgical amputation.
No immediate cause of death could be attributed to the parts themselves. DNA profiling is underway to determine whether they match any of the main bodies or represent additional victims.
“The adult remains showed significantly more decomposition than the children’s bodies, suggesting they died at different times,” Dr. Njoroge told journalists. “Some of these look like they have come from mortuaries and others from hospitals, but we are going to determine that when we finish with the autopsy.”
With postmortem examinations of the adult remains completed by Dr. Richard Njoroge and his team at Kericho County Hospital mortuary, authorities are now advancing the broader investigation into the 33 exhumed remains.
Comprehensive DNA sampling and forensic analysis will help identify the deceased where possible, match dismembered body parts, and clarify family links.
This has been a key demand from the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and other groups calling for full transparency and dignity for the victims.
Homicide detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are probing how bodies from Nyamira County Referral Hospital morgue were transported and buried in Kericho.
Focus areas include potential coordination between hospital officials and cemetery staff, compliance with Kenyan law on unclaimed bodies (which requires court authorization after 14 days), and any additional criminal elements.
At least two suspects, a public health officer and the cemetery caretaker, remain in custody, with one granted 25 days’ police detention.
Once forensic requirements are met and identities established where feasible, the remains will be released to families or handled by authorities for dignified reburial.
Human rights organizations continue to push for full public disclosure of all findings, including relevant toxicology reports, and systemic reforms to prevent similar lapses in hospital morgue practices.
