The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has taken over investigations following the discovery of a suspected mass grave at Makaburini Cemetery in Kericho East.
In a statement on Sunday, March 22, the agency said it has assumed full responsibility for the probe, signaling the seriousness of the matter.
"Further to the statement issued by the Inspector General of Police, the DCI’s Homicide Directorate has taken full command of investigations into the discovery of a suspected mass grave at Makaburini Cemetery in Kericho East Sub-County, Kericho County," the statement read.
According to the DCI, it has already outlined plans to exhume the bodies in order to establish critical details, including the identities of the deceased and the cause of death.
"A formal application for exhumation will be filed on March 23, 2026, to allow pathologists and forensic experts to recover the remains, establish the cause and manner of death, and attempt identification of the deceased. Investigators will also determine whether any criminal activity occurred beyond the reported irregularities in the burial process," the statement added.
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Preliminary investigations have revealed that the bodies in question were reportedly unclaimed and had been transported from a hospital in Nyamira County before burial in Kericho.
"Preliminary findings indicate that thirteen unclaimed bodies were officially released from Nyamira County Referral Hospital and transported to Kericho for burial on the morning of March 20, 2026," the statement continued.
Detectives have since widened the scope of the investigation, traveling to Nyamira County to question individuals linked to the handling and transportation of the bodies.
"Detectives have since travelled to Nyamira and are actively interviewing all individuals involved in the process, including public health officers, drivers, escorts, and the cemetery caretaker. Five witnesses have already recorded detailed statements, with more interviews ongoing," the statement further read.
As part of the probe, authorities have uncovered documents that are now under scrutiny to verify their authenticity and legality.
"During a search of the cemetery caretaker’s residence, a photocopied court order, purportedly issued by Nyamira Law Courts was produced, authorising the burial of seven unclaimed bodies. The original order and all related documentation are scheduled for formal verification," the statement continued.
Investigators have also seized the vehicle believed to have been used in transporting the bodies, which is now undergoing forensic examination.
"The vehicle alleged to have transported the bodies, a white Land Cruiser, has been located and impounded and is currently undergoing forensic examination," the statement further read.
Meanwhile, security has been heightened at the cemetery, which remains sealed off as investigations continue. Officials have also confirmed the ownership of the burial site.
"The cemetery remains cordoned off and under day and night police guard. It has been established that the cemetery is owned by the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), a fact confirmed by officials from its Kericho branch," the statement explained.
The DCI has deployed a specialized team to lead the investigation, underscoring the gravity of the situation and the need to establish accountability.
"The Director of Homicide is leading a specialised team that has taken over all investigative efforts from the initial responders at Kericho Police Station," the statement concluded.
In a police report filed at Kericho Police Station on Saturday, March 21, the discovery was reported by two street boys who work as grave diggers.
Following the report, DCI detectives, accompanied by officers from the Kericho Police Station, visited the scene and confirmed the presence of a freshly dug grave.
"The scene was visited by the DCIO Kericho, scenes of crime personnel, and police officers from Kericho police station at Makaburini area, map ref YQ 549598, approximately 1.5 km north east of the station. It was established that there was a fresh grave at the said public cemetery," read part of the report.
The two street boys, aged 26 and 23 years, told investigators that a white Toyota Land Cruiser carrying three individuals arrived at the cemetery on Thursday, March 19, 2026, and the occupants held a prolonged discussion with a caretaker identified as Ezekiel.
The following day, on Friday, March 20, 2026, the vehicle returned to the cemetery, and the two casual laborers were hired to dig a large grave.
The duo reported that about 14 bodies, all sealed in body bags, were later dumped into the grave.
"On 20/03/2026 at about 0600 hrs, the same three persons, including the driver, returned aboard a white Land Cruiser. The reportees were engaged to dig a mass grave wherein approximately 14 bodies, some mutilated and all in body bags, were dumped into a single grave," the report added.
