Nairobi, Kenya – The hospital urged the public to identify and collect the unclaimed bodies within seven days
Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has issued a public appeal urging individuals to identify and collect 260 unclaimed bodies currently lying at its Farewell Home.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the hospital warned that if the bodies remain unclaimed within the next seven days, it will move to seek court authorization for their disposal.
The hospital’s notice is anchored in the provisions of the Public Health Act Cap 242 and the Public Health (Public Mortuaries) Rules, 1991.
The law mandates that deceased persons kept in public morgues for over 10 days incur a penalty of Ksh. 100 per day, and after 21 days, the hospital is legally allowed to dispose of the remains with a court order, provided a 14-day public notice has been given.
“Kenyatta National Hospital is in possession of several unclaimed bodies at its Farewell Home,” the hospital said in its statement.
“Interested members of the public are requested to identify and collect the bodies within seven days, failure to which the hospital will seek authority from the courts to dispose of them.”
The list of the deceased includes individuals of varying ages and genders—ranging from infants to adults.
The names have not been published, but gender and body tag numbers have been provided to assist in identification.
KNH is urging anyone who may have lost contact with loved ones or is uncertain about the whereabouts of friends or relatives to visit the Farewell Home and verify if any of the deceased could be their kin.
This announcement comes just a week after the hospital carried out the disposal of 124 unclaimed bodies under similar circumstances.
In accordance with legal procedures, unclaimed bodies are typically buried in public cemeteries or interred in mass graves, often without traditional rites.
The hospital emphasized that it remains open to support and assist affected families in the identification process during this critical period.
