Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) has given families and members of the public seven days to identify and collect 85 unclaimed bodies being held at its Farewell Home in Nairobi.
In a public notice issued on Tuesday, October 6, the hospital urged anyone with information that could help identify the deceased or trace their relatives to come forward within the seven-day period.
The 85 bodies comprise 67 males and 18 females, with the list containing both identified and unidentified remains. Some of the deceased are listed by name, while others are recorded as unknown men or women because their identities or relatives have not been established.
KNH said the notice was issued pursuant to the Public Health Act, Cap 242, and the Public Health (Public Mortuaries) Rules, 1991. The hospital has published tag numbers and details of the bodies to assist families and members of the public in establishing whether their missing relatives are among those at the Farewell Home.
The records show that some of the remains were registered in 2025 while others were registered in 2026, indicating that some have remained at the hospital for several months as efforts continue to trace their relatives.
KNH is asking relatives, friends and other people who may have information about the deceased to check the published list and come forward for identification and collection.
The notice follows a similar appeal issued by the hospital in March, when KNH listed 480 unclaimed bodies, comprising 102 adults and 378 children, and gave families seven days to claim the remains.
For the latest notice, however, the hospital has not ordered the immediate disposal of the 85 bodies.
Instead, KNH says it will seek authority from the courts to dispose of the remains if they are not identified and collected within the seven-day period. This gives families an opportunity to come forward before any disposal process is undertaken.
Members of the public who may have missing relatives have therefore been urged to check the KNH list and contact the hospital within the stipulated period to facilitate identification and collection.
