Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i has demanded an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding more than 200 unclaimed bodies slated for disposal by the Nairobi County Government.
The county had issued a notice declaring that the bodies, which remain unclaimed in city morgues, would be disposed of once the statutory period expired. Officials cited adherence to county health regulations governing the disposal of unclaimed remains.
Speaking during a church service in Kajiado, Matiang’i called for a halt to the process, suggesting that some of the bodies may belong to victims of anti-government protests.
“Bodies don’t fall from the sky,” he said. “We want an independent investigation because some of those bodies could be of our loved ones killed during the protests.”
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka also raised concerns, alleging the disposal could amount to a cover-up by the authorities.
The controversy comes in the shadow of the June and July 2025 anniversary protests, where clashes between demonstrators and security forces left an unknown number of people dead. Rights groups and opposition figures maintain the toll was far higher than official government figures suggest.
President William Ruto’s administration appointed a taskforce led by Prof Makau Mutua to compensate protest victims and their families, but the process stalled after the courts blocked its operations. The committee members have since suspended their work pending the outcome of the case.
