The County Government of Kiambu has issued a public notice regarding the disposal of 81 unclaimed bodies currently lying at Thika Level 5 Hospital’s General Kago Road Funeral Home.
According to the notice, the county has given a 14-day window for individuals to identify and claim the bodies, after which the hospital will seek court authorization to dispose of them.
The notice, published in Monday’s dailies, cites the Public Health Act Cap 242 (Public Health (Public Mortuary) Rules, 1991), mandating that the public be given time to claim the deceased.
“Interested public members are therefore requested to identify and collect the bodies within 14 days from the date hereof,” the notice read, adding that legal steps would follow for any bodies left unclaimed.
Of the 81 unclaimed bodies, 19 are from Thika Level 5 Hospital, some dating as far back as September 2021.
Most of these cases are male patients who passed away in casualty wards or the Intensive Care Unit, with one case originating from the Outpatient Department and another as a transfer from another facility.
The remaining 61 bodies were transferred from various police stations across the county, including stations in Thika, Ruiru, Juja, Gatundu North, and other local precincts. The earliest of these cases dates back to August 2023.
The notice from Kiambu County comes amid similar measures taken by Nairobi County, which recently reported a backlog of over 600 unclaimed bodies at Nairobi Funeral Home, formerly known as City Mortuary.
With the facility exceeding its capacity of 184, Nairobi County officials also urged the public to check in on missing family members and help free up space at the overwhelmed mortuary.
Per the Public Health Act Cap 242, bodies in mortuaries must be kept for a minimum of three months before disposal procedures can begin, and a 14-day public notice is required before any final action.
