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Dozens of bodies, mostly infants, discovered in Kenya mass grave

Deborah Okailey Quarcoo•4h ago•555 words · 3 min read•Breaking

Summary

32 bodies, mostly children, have been dug up from a mass grave in the western Kenyan town of Kericho as investigations continue into the shocking discovery. The exhumation was done after the police obtained a court order to retrieve 14 bodies that were initially believed to have been buried at the site. Government pathologist Richard Njoroge told journalists on Tuesday evening that what they found was "quite unusual" with bodies "stacked in gunny bags".

Richard Njoroge said there were "7 adults and 25 children", with the children being infants and foetuses. A number of body parts were also retrieved. Some of the bodies appeared to have originated from hospitals and mortuaries. The adult remains were highly decomposed, with those of the children less so, which indicated that they died at different times. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said their initial findings indicated that 13 unclaimed bodies had officially been released from a hospital in neighbouring Nyamira county and transported to Kericho for burial last Friday. The site belongs to the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), which has denied links to the secret burial. Two suspects, a public health officer from Nyamira and a cemetery caretaker, have reportedly been arrested in connection with the matter, with others being questioned. Human rights group Vocal Africa said the discovery was a "staggering and horrific escalation that exposes the true scale of this tragedy". Outgoing Law Society of Kenya president Faith Odhiambo said, "Identification of these victims must be done as soon as possible".

A post-mortem examination is expected to begin on Wednesday, amid calls to promptly identify the bodies and investigate the circumstances of the deaths.

Quick Summary

Kenyan authorities are investigating a mass grave discovered in Kericho- with dozens of bodies exhumed. The shocking find has led to calls for swift action- but what could it reveal?

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