Nairobi Funeral Home, formerly City Mortuary recorded a a dramatic increase of 247 bodies in one month. This surge coincided with a period of intense youth protests against the 2024 finance bill. And this has raised concerns about the actual number of protests casualties.
Between June 25 and July 26, 115 bodies were initially listed as ‘unknown’. Of these, 60 remain unclaimed and unidentified.
17 were body parts found at the Mukuru Kwa Njenga Kware dumpsite.
The remaining bodies have been identified, with some still awaiting DNA tests. This total includes 13 foetuses or perinatal remains.
The protests, which began in mid-June against the 2024 Finance Bill, resulted in at least 60 deaths, with another 66 people still missing.
Nairobi reported at least 21 of these deaths.
Were the Bodies Casualties of Protests?
Dr. Sylvester Maingi, the government pathologist, clarified, “The remaining unclaimed bodies were NOT related to the protests.”
Maingi rejected media claims suggesting that all unknown bodies had gunshot wounds, calling these reports false.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has faced challenges in investigating the situation due to a lack of cooperation from the police and some public hospitals.
IPOA Commissioner Joseph Waiganjo stated, “We have visited some major public hospitals trying to get medical records of those involved in the demonstrations and those whose injuries we believe are related to gunshot wounds, and the institutions are not giving us the cooperation we need.”
“We are not receiving the required medical records or support from some institutions.”
The IPOA has accused the police of hindering their investigation and is considering seeking arrest warrants for senior commanders blocking access to crucial documents.
By Vivian K.