LSK DEMANDS DNA TESTING OF 120 UNCLAIMED
BODIES BEFORE CITY MORTUARY DISPOSE
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has approached the High Court. They seek to prevent the Nairobi County government from disposing of 120 unclaimed bodies.
These bodies are currently stored at the Nairobi City Funeral Home, formerly City Mortuary.
The LSK’s petition demands DNA sampling to confirm the identities of these bodies. They argue this process is necessary before any disposal occurs.
The petition was filed at the High Court on Monday.
The bodies in question were received during anti-government protests. Between May 12, 2023, and April 28, 2024, police officers from 12 stations delivered them. Of these bodies, 60 remain unidentified.
Most of the bodies are male, according to reports. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja recently announced plans for their disposal.
His announcement came with a notice published in a local newspaper.
“Pending the hearing and determination of this Application infer- parties, an order of mandamus, do issue compelling the respondents to conduct a DNA sampling process to ascertain the identity of the 120 unclaimed bodies lying at Nairobi City Funeral Home,” the LSK’s petition states.
In response, the LSK has taken legal action. They filed a case at the Milimani Law Courts to halt the disposal.
The case targets several defendants, including the Nairobi County Government and Governor Sakaja.
The LSK argues that the county government did not provide enough time for identifying the bodies.
They also claim there was no thorough DNA sampling process.
The petitioners include the County Executive Committee (CEC) for Health, Nairobi City Mortuary, and the Cabinet Secretary for Health.
Also named are the Inspector General of Police, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, and the Attorney General. The LSK believes that proper procedures must be followed to respect the deceased. They urge that identification be completed before any bodies are disposed off
