Kenyatta National Hospital issues 7-day deadline to Kenyans to collect 260 unclaimed bodies

Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has announced it will dispose of 260 unclaimed bodies, most of them children, if they are not collected within seven days.

In a public notice issued on Tuesday, the hospital urged families to visit its Farewell Home and identify their relatives.

KNH said it would seek court permission to dispose of the bodies in line with the Public Health Act if they remain unclaimed.

“Kenyatta National Hospital is in possession of several unclaimed bodies at its Farewell Home. Pursuant to Public Health Act Cap 242 [Subsidiary Legislation Public Health (Public Mortuaries) Rules,1991], interested members of the public are requested to identify and collect the bodies within 7 days, failure to which the hospital will seek authority from the courts to dispose of them,” the statement reads.

The hospital confirmed that a large number of the unclaimed bodies are children, raising concerns about the high rate of child deaths and abandonment at the facility.

The list includes both infants and adults, with gender and tag numbers provided to help families identify their loved ones.

Under the Public Health Act, bodies should not remain in a public morgue for more than 10 days. If unclaimed for 21 days, the hospital is allowed to dispose of them, provided a 14-day public notice has been issued and court permission obtained.

This new notice comes just one week after KNH announced plans to dispose of another 124 unclaimed bodies still held at its Farewell Home.

The hospital urged families who may have lost contact with relatives or are unsure of their whereabouts to visit the mortuary and check the list.

Unclaimed bodies are usually buried in public cemeteries or mass graves without traditional rites. Health officials have raised alarm over the increasing number of such cases, which continue to put pressure on morgue capacity and hospital resources.

In earlier years, KNH and City Mortuary have handled thousands of unclaimed bodies. Between 2003 and 2006, KNH disposed of about 3,000 unclaimed bodies, while City Mortuary handled 2,500. In just five months of 2006, both facilities processed over 1,500 bodies, resulting in nearly Sh5 million in lost mortuary fees

Other Topics To Read

• National
• Kenyatta National Hospital
• KNH
• unclaimed bodies
• Public Health Act
• KNH Farewell Home
• Kenyatta National Hospital issues 7-day deadline to Kenyans to collect 260 unclaimed bodies
• Headlines