Three Charged Over Illegal Burial of 33 Bodies in Kericho, Freed on Sh500,000 Bond
By Robert Siele | KERICHO,
Three officials implicated in the unlawful burial of 33 bodies at NCCK Makaburini Cemetery in Kericho town were arraigned before the Kericho Law Courts, where they denied the charges.
The accused—Jason Mwachora, a Chief Mortician at Nyamira Teaching and Referral Hospital, David Araka, a Public Health Officer from Nyamira County, and Richard Towett, a cemetery caretaker—face charges related to burying bodies without a valid permit, in violation of Section 21 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act (Cap 149).
The court heard that on March 20, 2026, at NCCK Makaburini Cemetery in Kericho East Sub-County, the three jointly oversaw the burial of bodies labeled KRC/G001 BAG003/B021/24.03.2026 without proper authorization or legal documentation.
Presiding over the case, Chief Magistrate Thomas Obutu granted each of the accused a bond of Sh500,000 with a surety of a similar amount. The matter is scheduled for pre-trial on June 8, 2026.
Investigations revealed that a total of 33 bodies along with six body parts had been buried in gunny bags at the cemetery. It also emerged that the Nyamira County Government had only secured a court order permitting the disposal of 13 unclaimed bodies, raising questions over the additional burials carried out by the accused.
