Murkomen: Kericho mass grave persons of interest arrested, probe ongoing
By Kenneth Mwenda, March 28, 2026Six people have been arrested in connection with the discovery of a mass grave in Kericho, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Investigations into the case are ongoing, with authorities promising that those responsible will face the full force of the law.
Murkomen said the burial was conducted in secret and outside the legal framework.
“I must say here that what happened is not acceptable. There was a court order for disposal of unclaimed bodies from Nyamira Referral Hospital, and that court order specified exactly the number of bodies that were supposed to be disposed. It was not supposed to happen in darkness,” he stated.
Murkomen explained that the county government of Nyamira, particularly the officials in charge of the referral hospital, organised the burial in a clandestine manner. The bodies were reportedly buried in a private cemetery.
“It was done in an unholy hours and disposed in an improper manner because it was being done in a clandestine manner, possibly because there was monetary gain. We have now established that the bodies are more than the ones that the court had ordered,” he added.
He praised the swift response of security agencies.
“I want to thank the Inspector-General and the DCI because they moved in swiftly, and we have done the proper investigations. People will be charged according to the law,” Murkomen said.
Autopsies reveal varied causes
The probe comes after autopsies on eight male victims from the grave revealed varied causes of death. A government pathologist team led by Richard Njoroge, Donar Nyahunga, and Naomi Ariaga conducted the postmortems, concluding on March 27, 2026.
The findings showed a mix of natural and unnatural causes, including pneumonia, septicaemia, advanced heart disease, pulmonary thromboembolism, head injury, and a combination of choking and head trauma. Two of the bodies had undetermined causes of death.
Investigators have not ruled out foul play in some cases. Health officials from Kericho and Nyamira counties were present during the examinations, underlining the sensitivity of the operation.
Earlier, postmortems on 25 children recovered from the grave revealed that four had died from head injuries, 10 from premature birth, and two from undetermined causes. Among the children, eight were male, 10 female, and the remaining seven could not be identified due to severe decomposition.
Njoroge noted:
“Prematurity as a cause of death, we found in 10, and then some sort of head injuries we found in 4.”
He added that the bodies were in varying states of decomposition, with only a few relatively fresh.
Murkomen stressed that proper procedures must be followed in handling bodies.
“It is important for every Kenyan to know that disposal of bodies or when someone has passed on, there is a procedure. There is a licence, there is information that you might get, and you must get the support of the security team of the place where you are undertaking this burial,” he said.