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Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has issued a public appeal for relatives to claim 260 bodies currently lying unclaimed at its Farewell Home.
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The hospital has given a seven-day window for identification and collection before it seeks court permission to dispose of them.
In a notice released on Tuesday, KNH asked members of the public to visit the mortuary and check for missing loved ones.
“KNH is holding several unclaimed bodies at its Farewell Home. In line with the Public Health Act Cap 242 and the Public Mortuaries Rules of 1991, the public is urged to identify and collect them within seven days. Failure to do so will compel the hospital to seek a court order to dispose of the bodies,” the statement read.
The list of deceased individuals includes both adults and infants of various ages and genders, with tag numbers provided to aid in identification.
Under the Public Health Act, individuals who leave a body uncollected in a public morgue for over 10 days are liable to pay a daily penalty of KSh100.
If a body remains unclaimed for 21 days, and after issuing a 14-day public notice, the facility is allowed to dispose of it upon receiving court approval.
This latest notice comes just a week after KNH disclosed plans to dispose of 124 other unclaimed bodies still being held at the mortuary.
The hospital also encouraged those who may have lost touch with relatives or are unsure of their whereabouts to visit the Farewell Home and verify if any of the bodies belong to their kin.
Unclaimed remains are typically interred in public cemeteries or mass graves, often without customary funeral rites.
