KHRC demands DNA testing, full disclosure over Kericho mass grave

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.

“Comprehensive forensic identification, including DNA testing, must be conducted to restore the victims’ identities and dignity, alongside full public disclosure of findings and prosecution of those found culpable,” KHRC said.

KHRC has warned that the failure by authorities to account for the additional bodies may signal attempts to conceal unlawful deaths, citing Kenya’s history of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

“The Kericho discovery mirrors the 2024 Embakasi quarry case, where bodies of murdered women were discovered. Witnesses noted that some victims had toothpaste smeared around their eyes, a tactic previously used by protesters to counteract teargas during anti-finance bill demonstrations,” the Commission alleged.

“The discovery further brings to mind the mass deaths in Shakahola forest in Kilifi, where 429 bodies were recovered amid delayed and opaque investigations. The latest discovery forms part of a criminal trend of mass fatalities and weak accountability in the country.”

It is now demanding an urgent, independent, and transparent investigation to establish both individual and institutional responsibility, including the role of police and public officials.

“The Kericho incident is a threat to Kenyans’ constitutional rights to life and dignity,” the commission said.

KHRC further wants authorities to determine whether the unidentified bodies are linked to enforced disappearances or extrajudicial killings.

The discovery of mass graves in Kericho county ignited heated debate in the Senate, with Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei demanding a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the burial of dozens of bodies.

What was initially reported as 14 bodies has now risen to 33 following exhumations carried out on Tuesday.

Cherargei said the matter must be fully investigated to establish how the bodies were buried and under what authority.

“The presence of mass graves in Kericho county must be fully investigated on the circumstances of 14 bodies buried that has risen to 33 bodies upon exhumation yesterday,” Cherargei said.

The senator raised concerns about hospitals disposing of unclaimed bodies without following proper legal procedures.