Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has issued a notice calling on the public to identify and collect 480 unclaimed bodies within seven days, which have been lying at the hospital’s farewell home.
In a public notice dated 23rd March 2026, the hospital warned that it will seek court’s approval to dispose of the remains if they are not claimed within the stipulated period.
“Kenyatta National Hospital is in possession of a number of unclaimed bodies at its Farewell Home. Members of the public are therefore requested to identify and collect the bodies within 7 days; failure to which the hospital will seek authority from the courts to dispose of them,” stated KNH.
According to the notice, of the 480 bodies, 102 are adults and 378 are children. Of the 102 adults, 85 are male while 17 are female.
KNH management urged relatives and friends to come forward to identify and collect the bodies before they are disposed in accordance with the law.
The hospital referenced the Public Health Act (Cap 242), specifically the Public Health (Public Mortuaries) Rules of 1991, which outline how unclaimed bodies should be managed and disposed of in Kenya.
The rule strictly regulate mortuary body storage, prohibiting holding a body for more than 10 days without action. It states that a person or institution cannot keep a dead body in a public mortuary for more than ten days.
Failure to collect the body within 10 days may result in its disposal. However, before the disposal the hospital must issue a 7 to 14-day public notice and obtain a court order.
