An investigation is underway at a cemetery in Kenya after more than two dozen bodies were found in a makeshift mass grave. The bodies, which mostly belonged to babies, were discovered at the Makaburini Cemetery. No one knows where they came from exactly or who they even belong to, but a detailed investigation has already begun to perform autopsies and hopefully identify the bodies. So far, there is not one clear explanation for how the bodies could have ended up there, and it doesn’t feel like this will be a quick or easy investigation. There is mounting pressure, however, to get this done effectively for all involved.
Someone alerted officials to the possibility of a mass grave.
The mass grave is located in the western Kenyan town Kericho, the BBC reported. Police had obtained a court order to retrieve 14 bodies recently buried at the site when they made the shocking discovery of the additional bodies. The exhumation came after a tip-off from a whistleblower, the outlet reported.
On March 23, 2026, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations announced that based on its initial findings, 13 unclaimed bodies had been officially released from a hospital in nearby Nyamira county and taken to Kericho for burial on March 20. So now, there are a lot of questions about the additional bodies found.
Government pathologist Richard Njoroge said the findings were “quite unusual,” with bodies “stacked in gunny bags,” per the BBC. According to Njoroge, there were “seven adults and 25 children,” and the children were “fetuses and infants.” Random body parts also were found.
A post-mortem will be conducted after pushing for the bodies be identified and their deaths investigated.
Njoroge said some of the bodies appeared to come from hospitals and mortuaries, but that will be determined after autopsies.
The adult bodies seem to be more decomposed than the children’s bodies, which means they weren’t buried together.
The Makaburini Cemetery is owned by the National Council of Churches of Kenya, and according to KTN News Kenya, they are distancing themselves from the mass grave discovery.
“The autopsy of those bodies will have to be done to ascertain the cause of death for each one of them. We are also not sure of the number … there could’ve been two or three bodies, others had parts of bodies, so we are not sure,” Hussein Khalid, CEO of the charity the Vocal Africa, told the outlet.
“With reports of mutilation and dismemberment among the remains, the discovery points to a level of violence that demands immediate, transparent investigation and national accountability,” Vocal Africa shared, per the BBC.
This isn’t going to be resolved quickly because so many people are involved.
Khalid also expressed concern for witnesses, demanding protection for them as well, Daily Nation reported. “The witnesses, including youths who participated in digging the graves and burying the bodies, must be protected as a matter of urgency,” he said.
Area residents say the exhumation is concerning to them as well. “People here do not usually bury their loved ones in cemeteries, but on private land. A mass grave of this nature raises serious concerns,” Isaac Lelelei said.
According to Daily Nation, two people have been arrested in connection with the burial. David Araka Makori, a Nyamira County public health officer, and Richard Towett, a caretaker at the cemetery, were arraigned on March 23. Because the investigation is still happening, however, a plea was not taken.
Police are only allowed to hold the suspects for 30 days pending the completion of the investigation, the court ordered.
