KnH Issues Seven-Day Notice To Claim 480 Unclaimed Bodies
Health Updated: 24 March 2026 17:50 EAT
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Kenyatta National Hospital has issued a public notice urging families to identify and collect 480 unclaimed bodies currently lying at its Farewell Home mortuary within seven days.
The notice, published this week, indicates that the bodies consist of 102 adults and 378 children, reflecting a disproportionately high number of minors among the unclaimed remains.
Hospital authorities warned that if the bodies are not claimed within the stipulated timeline, the institution will proceed to seek legal clearance for their disposal in accordance with the law.
Management stated that the move is necessary to ease congestion at the mortuary, which has been experiencing pressure due to limited holding capacity and a steady inflow of bodies.
The hospital emphasized that the directive is anchored in existing public health regulations that govern the management and disposal of unclaimed bodies in public facilities.
Under the law, bodies should not remain in a public mortuary for extended periods without identification or collection, unless special circumstances are documented.
Officials noted that unclaimed bodies often result from a combination of factors, including inability by families to raise mortuary and burial fees, lack of identification documents, and cases where relatives are not immediately traceable.
In some instances, the deceased may be victims of accidents or individuals without known next of kin, further complicating identification and claim processes.
The hospital has urged members of the public who may have lost contact with relatives to visit the facility and verify records before the expiry of the seven-day deadline.
Authorities reiterated that the identification process may involve viewing records, documentation, and, where necessary, physical identification at the mortuary.
The situation highlights broader systemic challenges facing public mortuaries in Kenya, where periodic accumulation of unclaimed bodies forces health institutions to issue disposal notices to manage space and maintain operational efficiency.
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FELIX MAKONA
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