Kenyatta National Hospital issues 7 day notice for 480 unclaimed bodies
Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has issued a public notice asking families to claim 480 unclaimed bodies currently at the Farewell Home mortuary. The hospital has given a seven day period from March 24 2026 after which it will seek court approval to dispose of the bodies according to the law.
Out of the 480 bodies, 102 are adults and 378 are children, with many reported to be infants. The bodies have accumulated over time with some dating back to deaths recorded between January 2024 and October 2025.
In the notice, KNH said
Kenyatta National Hospital is in possession of a number of unclaimed bodies at its Farewell Home. Pursuant to the Public Health Act Cap 242 [Subsidiary Legislation: Public Health (Public Mortuaries) Rules, 1991], interested 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.
KNH has published lists on its website under the section Disposal of Unclaimed Bodies.
The lists include names where available, tag numbers, sex and other identifying details. Families can check the lists online or visit the Farewell Home in person to confirm.
The hospital has urged relatives and guardians to act quickly to avoid legal disposal of the remains.
Mortuary congestion remains a challenge in public hospitals
Unclaimed bodies are common in public mortuaries in Kenya especially at large facilities such as Kenyatta National Hospital and Nairobi City Mortuary. Some of the reasons include financial hardship where families cannot afford mortuary fees or burial costs, poverty and abandonment especially in cases involving infants, lack of information about where the patient died, and social issues such as family disputes or migration.
Under the Public Mortuaries Rules bodies are expected to be collected within a short period. If they remain unclaimed the hospital can issue a public notice and later request court approval for disposal, usually through burial in a public cemetery. In some cases unclaimed bodies may be released for medical training with approval from the Ministry of Health.
This is not the first time KNH has made such an announcement. Similar notices have been issued in past years showing the ongoing challenge of mortuary congestion in public hospitals.
Anyone who believes their relative may be among the unclaimed bodies is advised to check the list on the KNH website or visit the Farewell Home at Kenyatta National Hospital with identification and any details that may help confirm the person. The seven day period is important because once it ends the hospital will begin the legal process to dispose of the remaining bodies.
