12-Hour Standoff at MTRH Mortuary: Frustrated Police Officers Left Stranded with Two Bodies After Management Turns Them Away
“It is disturbing to see police officers being forced to move bodies back and forth instead of ensuring they are received at the mortuary.”
Police officers stand beside their vehicle outside the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) mortuary in Eldoret after reportedly spending more than 12 hours stranded with the bodies of two suspected thieves following the facility management’s refusal to receive them. .
By James Gitaka
Tension was witnessed outside the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) mortuary in Eldoret after the facility reportedly declined to receive the bodies of two men suspected of theft who were killed by a mob in the Cherunya area.
According to reports, residents of Cherunya alerted police officers from Yamumbi Police Station after the two men were allegedly beaten to death by a mob following claims that they had attempted to steal mobile phones.
The officers collected the bodies and transported them to the MTRH mortuary. However, the bodies were reportedly not received, forcing the officers to return them to Yamumbi Police Station. They were transported to the hospital again early Monday morning.
Residents have criticised the hospital management and the Uasin Gishu County Government, demanding an explanation for the difficulties allegedly encountered by police officers and members of the public when delivering bodies to the mortuary.
“It is disturbing to see police officers being forced to move bodies back and forth instead of ensuring they are received at the mortuary. We want the hospital management to explain what happened and establish a clear procedure for handling such cases,” said Edwin Barasa, a Cherunya resident.
Another resident and a village Elder in Langas estate , Musita Odinga, called on the county government to clarify allegations concerning charges for burying unidentified bodies.
“The county government needs to explain why they are refusing MTRH to burry unclaimed bodies and the many charges they have been demanding for the last two years ,members of the public deserve clear information on what is going on,” Odinga said.
Questions Over Mortuary Fees and Unclaimed Bodies
The latest incident has renewed questions about the management of unclaimed bodies, mortuary charges and the procedures for disposing of unidentified remains in Eldoret.
In April 2024, MTRH issued a public notice announcing that 32 unclaimed bodies were lying at its farewell home. The hospital asked relatives to identify and collect the bodies within 10 days, warning that any remains not collected within the stipulated period would be disposed of in accordance with the law.
The notice cited the Public Health Act and the Public Health (Public Mortuaries) Rules, 1991. Read the MTRH public notice.
Separately, an Auditor-General’s report for the financial year ended June 30, 2023, identified discrepancies in MTRH’s reporting of mortuary fees.
The report indicated that the hospital’s financial statements recorded mortuary fees of approximately KSh30.89 million, while the mortuary ledgers reflected approximately KSh55.29 million, leaving an unreconciled difference of about KSh24.40 million.
Hospital management attributed the discrepancy to reporting anomalies in its enterprise resource planning system, which classified some mortuary income under cost-sharing revenue.
These audit findings concern financial reporting and do not establish that the reported refusal to receive the two bodies was caused by unpaid fees. Read the Auditor-General’s report on MTRH.
Legal Procedures for Unidentified Bodies
Kenya’s public health framework provides procedures for handling and disposing of unclaimed bodies. National hospital clinical guidelines set out requirements for the lawful disposal of such remains, including the prescribed notification and post-mortem procedures and relevant legal authorisation.
The procedures are intended to provide relatives with an opportunity to identify and claim their loved ones while ensuring that unidentified remains are handled lawfully and respectfully.
Meanwhile, the Uasin Gishu County Government’s revenue portal lists cemetery-related services, including burial fees and body-handling charges. However, the published listing alone does not establish which charges apply to unidentified bodies or whether any such charges contributed to the reported incident.
Residents have called on Governor Jonathan Bii’s administration to clarify the allegations and explain the procedures governing the burial of unidentified persons.
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