Autopsy: Prematurity, head injuries among causes of death in 12 children exhumed from Kericho mass grave

Autopsies conducted on bodies exhumed from a mass grave in Kericho County have revealed a mix of causes of death among 12 bodies of children.

Pathologist Richard Njoroge said the postmortem process had commenced on children exhumed from Makaburini, with findings pointing to varied conditions of the remains and differing causes of death.

The pathologist noted that a total of 25 bodies were examined, all in varying stages of decomposition.

“Today, we commenced the process of autopsies for the 12 children that were exhumed from Makaburini. They were in various stages of decomposition; only a few were fresh, while the others were severely decomposed,” he said.

According to the findings, some of the bodies belonged to preterm infants while others were full-term children.

In terms of gender, eight were identified as male and 10 as female, while the gender of seven could not be determined due to the condition of the remains.

On the causes of death, the pathologist said prematurity accounted for the highest number of cases.

“Prematurity as a cause of death was identified in 10 cases, while some form of head injury was observed in four cases,” he said.

In two instances, the cause of death could not be established.

This is after a multi-agency team exhumed at least 33 bodies from the cemetery on Tuesday, in an operation that has raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding the burials.

Officials had initially indicated that 14 bodies were interred at the site, but the number rose significantly as the exercise progressed.

Of the 33 bodies recovered, 25 were children. Investigators also recovered six body parts, including both upper and lower limbs, further complicating identification efforts.

On March 23, 2026, at around 9:30 a.m., two suspects were arraigned before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kericho.

The arraignments, filed under Miscellaneous Application, sought custodial and exhumation orders to allow authorities to continue investigations and prepare for the recovery of remains from the site.

The court granted the requests for a period of 30 days, giving law enforcement agencies the mandate to carry out necessary arrangements for exhumation and further forensic examinations.

Investigations are ongoing as authorities work to establish the identities of those buried and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission is calling for comprehensive forensic identification, including DNA testing, following the discovery of 33 bodies in a mass grave in Kericho.

KHRC has warned that the failure by authorities to account for the additional bodies may signal attempts to conceal unlawful deaths.

According to KHRC, only 13 bodies had been legally cleared for burial under a court order issued after correspondence from Nyamira County Referral Hospital, while 20 remain undocumented and unexplained.

KHRC said the remaining 20 bodies were allegedly interred without authorisation, raising serious concerns over procedural lapses and possible criminal conduct.

The rights group says the lack of documentation, coordination, and oversight by county health authorities points to potential complicity among hospital officials, cemetery management, and law enforcement agencies.

The commission is pushing for forensic processes to restore dignity to the victims.