Police identify 7 out of 9 unclaimed bodies at Mama Lucy

Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital as pictured during a tour on September 9, 2019. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The bodies, which have been lying at the facility for almost four months, were identified by homicide detectives following a request by the hospital’s management.
  • Governor Mike Sonko said the county government will waive the morgue bills for relatives who turn up to collect the bodies but are not able to make the payments.
  • City Hall has been grappling with an increasing numbers of unclaimed bodies in its health facilities.

Seven out of nine unclaimed bodies at the Mama Lucy Hospital mortuary in Nairobi have finally been identified.

The bodies, which have been lying at the facility for almost four months, were identified by homicide detectives following a request by the hospital’s management.

Medical Superintendent Musa Mohamed said they wrote to the detectives on September 8.

Fingerprints were then obtained, tests conducted and the results released on Saturday.

The detectives told the hospital that they were working on ways to identify the remaining two bodies.

COLLECTION

Among the seven are the bodies of Eugene Wabure Wechuli (ID number 31942404), Peter Macharia Mwango (ID 35626948), Samuel Etili Aiyamai (ID 29601734), and Daniel Oruru Amuzama (14433995).

The other are Raphael Kwetu Kasamani (25780813), Dismas Leokono (21852126) and Benjamin Boma Wasike (24205386).

“We are now calling on the families to collect the bodies for burial or disposal,” Dr Mohamed said.

Dr Mohamed said most of the bodies at Mama Lucy are those of victims of road accidents.

The hospital receives patients from all over the country, he said, adding most of them lack identification documents..

“We occasionally receive accident victims with no accompanying relatives. That is why we involved homicide police."

CRISIS

Governor Mike Sonko said the county government will waive the morgue bills for relatives who turn up to collect the bodies but are not able to make the payments.

City Hall has been grappling with an increasing numbers of unclaimed bodies in its health facilities.

Early in September, Nairobi raised the alarm saying the number was 273.

City Mortuary, Mbagathi and Mama Lucy mortuaries are some of the most affected, with 172 bodies at City and 97 at Mbagathi.

In August, City Hall advertised for the collection of unclaimed bodies across the county.