Former Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo has called for the urgent identification of victims in the Kericho mass grave, stressing the need for prompt action by relevant authorities.

In a statement on her official X account on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Odhiambo said the identification process must be conducted without delay.

“Identification of these victims must be done as soon as possible,” Odhiambo wrote.

Odhiambo’s remarks come following the incident that came to light after two street boys, aged 23 and 26, who work as gravediggers at the public cemetery, walked into Kericho Police Station on Saturday, March 21, 2026, to report a disturbing sequence of mass grave at the Makaburini Cemetery.

33 Bodies Exhumed

At least 33 bodies were exhumed from a mass grave at a cemetery at the Makaburini Cemetery in Kericho County on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

Officials had earlier indicated that 14 bodies were buried at the site, but it has since emerged that 33 bodies were exhumed. These included 25 children. There were also six body parts, which included both upper and lower limbs.

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

Two persons of interest, David Araka Makori and Richard Towett, were arraigned before the Kericho Principal Magistrate on Monday, March 23, 2026, but did not take a plea as the case is still under investigation.

Araka, who is a Public Health Officer in Nyamira County, and Towett, the caretaker of the cemetery, will remain in police custody for 30 days ahead of their formal arraignment and plea taking before the court.

According to the DCI, investigations are underway into the illegal burial of bodies without permits under Section 27 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act (Cap 49), in addition to conspiracy to defeat justice, murder, and other offences.

The probe

The development follows a shift in focus by the DCI on March 22, 2026, 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.

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