Authorities in Kenya have exhumed about 32 bodies, most of them children, from a mass grave in the western town of Kericho, in a discovery that has shocked the country and triggered a major investigation.
The bodies were recovered after police obtained a court order to retrieve 14 remains that were initially believed to have been buried at the site. However, investigators uncovered far more during the exhumation process.
Government pathologist Richard Njoroge told journalists that the discovery was highly unusual, with bodies found stacked inside gunny bags.
After a full day of excavation that was disrupted by heavy rain, officials confirmed that the remains included seven adults and 25 children, many of them infants and foetuses. Investigators also recovered several dismembered body parts.
Njoroge said the condition of the bodies suggests they died at different times. The adult remains were heavily decomposed, while those of the children appeared more recent.
A post-mortem examination is scheduled to begin as investigators work to identify the victims and determine the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Forensic teams and homicide detectives dressed in protective suits carried out the exhumation under tight security. Some remains were recovered intact while others consisted of bones and partial body parts, which were carefully placed into evidence bags.
Police sealed off the burial site while large crowds gathered nearby, with many residents visibly distressed as the bodies were removed.
The investigation began after a whistleblower alerted authorities about suspicious burials at the location.
Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations said preliminary findings indicate that 13 unclaimed bodies had been officially released from a hospital in neighboring Nyamira County and transported to Kericho for burial last Friday.
However, investigators are still trying to determine the origin of the additional bodies and why they were buried together in the same location.
The burial site is located on land owned by the National Council of Churches of Kenya, which has denied any involvement in the secret burial.
An official from the organization said the burials were conducted without their knowledge or approval and took them by surprise.
Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the case, including a public health officer from Nyamira County and a cemetery caretaker. Authorities say additional individuals are being questioned as the investigation continues.
Human rights organization Vocal Africa described the discovery as a “staggering and horrific escalation” that raises serious questions about possible criminal activity.
The group said reports of mutilation and dismemberment among the remains point to disturbing levels of violence that require a transparent national investigation.
Legal experts have also called for urgent identification of the victims.
“The identification of these victims must be done as soon as possible,” said outgoing Law Society of Kenya president Faith Odhiambo.
The grim discovery has revived memories of one of Kenya’s worst tragedies in recent years. In 2023, authorities uncovered more than 400 bodies in mass graves in the Shakahola forest near the coastal town of Malindi in a case linked to a cult led by self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie.
Mackenzie was accused of ordering his followers to starve themselves to death, though he has denied the charges.
