Two suspects arrested as DCI dismisses Kericho mass grave claims

DCI Director Amin Mohammed speaking on March 23, 2026 / CYRUS OMBATI

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has dismissed reports of a mass grave in Kericho, saying preliminary findings point to a transfer of unclaimed bodies from Nyamira rather than any criminal activity.

DCI Director Amin Mohammed said the matter had been “hyped and sensationalised” on social media, clarifying that investigators had found no evidence of a mass grave or any links to a mosque as earlier alleged.

“We were able to establish that these were bodies transferred from Nyamira District Referral Hospital to a private cemetery in Kericho belonging to a religious organisation, and that there were court orders authorising the transfer. However, we are interrogating the process through which those court orders were obtained,” Amin said.

“We are not dealing with mass graves. We are dealing with the transfer of bodies.”

According to the DCI, the bodies were moved from a referral hospital to a private cemetery in Kericho owned by a religious organisation, with court orders authorising the process.

However, DCI said they are now scrutinising how the court orders were obtained, amid emerging questions over possible procedural irregularities.

The development follows a shift in focus by the DCI on March 22, when detectives began probing the transfer of 13 unclaimed bodies from Nyamira County after a suspected mass grave was reported at Makubirini Cemetery in Kericho East Sub-County.

The DCI’s Homicide Directorate has since taken over the investigations, dispatching officers to Nyamira to interrogate individuals involved in the handling and transportation of the bodies. Those questioned include public health officers, drivers, escorts, and the cemetery caretaker.

At least five witnesses have already recorded statements as detectives work to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the burial.

The DCI has also confirmed the arrest of two suspects described as persons of interest, with a 30-day custodial order secured to allow investigators to continue with inquiries.

The court orders have been obtained to facilitate further examinations at the burial site.

Investigators are particularly focusing on discrepancies in documentation after recovering a photocopied court order from the cemetery caretaker’s residence.

The order reportedly authorised the burial of seven unclaimed bodies, raising concerns over the additional bodies interred at the site.

The original documents are now set to undergo verification as detectives seek to establish the legality of the entire process.

The DCI said there is currently no indication of foul play, even as investigations continue to determine the circumstances under which the bodies were transferred and buried.