Nairobi Issues Seven-Day Notice for Unclaimed 473 Bodies
Nairobi City County has published a seven-day public notice calling on relatives, friends and other members of the public to identify and collect 473 unclaimed bodies currently held at the Nairobi Funeral Home, formerly known as the Nairobi City Mortuary.
The announcement, released by the County Health, Nutrition and Wellness department, states that the remains have stayed at the facility since the dates of their admission while awaiting collection. Officials are urging anyone who may recognise a name on the list to come forward without delay.
The notice was issued under the Public Health Act, Cap 242, and the Public Health (Public Mortuaries) Rules of 1991. County authorities have made clear that if the bodies are not identified and collected within the seven-day window they will seek formal authority for disposal. The list itself is dated 18 March 2026 and records a total of 473 individuals whose deaths resulted from a range of circumstances including natural causes, sudden death, accidents, suspected murder, drowning, mob injustice and cases where the cause remains unknown.
A similar appeal was made earlier by Kenyatta National Hospital, which issued its own notice concerning 480 unclaimed bodies at its Farewell Home. That group comprised 102 adults and 378 children, and the hospital likewise warned that the remains would be disposed of if not claimed within seven days. Both institutions are following established legal procedures that permit disposal only after public notification and the securing of a court order, a process that usually applies once bodies have remained unclaimed for periods ranging from three weeks to three months.
These repeated notices underline a persistent problem of overcrowding in public mortuaries across the capital. Unclaimed remains occupy limited refrigerated space and place continuous strain on already stretched resources and staff. Health officials have emphasised that the primary goal of the current call is to reunite families with their loved ones wherever possible before any further administrative steps are taken.
Members of the public are therefore encouraged to review the published list carefully and to contact the Nairobi Funeral Home promptly if they believe they can identify any of the deceased. Prompt action offers the best chance of ensuring dignified collection and burial while also helping to ease the pressure on city mortuary facilities that continue to receive new admissions daily.
