Families of Nairobi flood victims decry unpaid autopsy, mortuary bills as grief deepens

Nairobi County Chief Officer Tom Nyakaba updates that only 15 of 26 flood victims’ bodies have been identified. March 9, 2026. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

Some grief-stricken families who lost their loved ones during last Friday's devastating floods in Nairobi have expressed frustration over what they term as the county government’s failure to waive autopsy and mortuary bills as earlier promised.

While recounting the painful circumstances under which the bodies of their kin were discovered, the families decried the..by both the National and County government for ignoring their plight. 

The families had gathered at the Nairobi County Funeral Home during post-mortem examinations on the bodies of their kin on Wednesday. 

Nafula Janet, whose last-born son died in the floods, said the family is struggling to come to terms with the loss while also facing unexpected expenses.

“We lost our lastborn to the floods. We are asking the government to help us because we have nothing left. We have nowhere to turn,” she said tearfully.

Janet explained that their last-born sibling had recently travelled to Nairobi in search of a better life after completing school.

“He had come to hustle so that we could continue improving our lives. I had educated him, and he came to Nairobi hoping to find some work,” she said.

According to Janet, the young man was last heard from on Friday night after a friend called to inform the family that he had been swept away by floodwaters.

“We were not living together. His friend called me at night while I was at work to tell me what had happened,” she said. 

Families of flood victims at Nairobi Funeral Home on March 9, 2026. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

With no support forthcoming since the tragedy struck, the family has resorted to fundraising to transport his body back to their rural home in Mt. Elgon for burial.

“Since Friday, we have not seen any response from the government. We have started contributing money ourselves so that we can take him home,” she said.

Another relative, Contine Wafula, criticised authorities, saying: “Since Friday, there has been no response from leaders." 

Esther Wanjiku, whose relative also died in the floods, said the family is overwhelmed by both grief and financial strain.

“It is very painful to lose a loved one in such circumstances. We are asking the government to assist us because everything happened so suddenly,” she said.

Wanjiku added that the deceased had been the family’s breadwinner and had just travelled to Nairobi and secured a job.  employment.

“His body was later found around the Parklands area after the floods,” she said.

The families say that, beyond emotional pain, they are now struggling with mortuary charges and post-mortem fees that they had expected the county government to waive.

Families of flood victims receive guidance from a Red Cross officer at Nairobi Funeral Home on March 9, 2026. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

Stephen Kariuki, who had just identified the body of his relative, Patrick James, at the mortuary, said the family had spent days searching before learning that the body had been recovered.

“I came looking for my relative who went missing on Friday. After about two days, we received information that he might be here at City Mortuary,” Kariuki said. “I managed to identify him, and we were told he drowned in the floodwaters,” he added.

Kariuki called on both the national and county governments to step in and support affected families. 

“The government should compensate these families and the county government should intervene to assist us with the costs,” he said.

For the family of Alex Chirchir from Marakwet East, the tragedy struck while he was simply heading to work.

“He was going to work in the evening when the floods caught up with him. His body was later found in South C,” Kibet said.

The growing anguish among the families is compounded by financial constraints, contradicting the promise by Governor Johnson Sakaja's administration to intervene and clear the mortuary bills. 

"As a county, we will waive the bills of those in our hospitals and mortuaries," the county Public Health Chief Officer, Tom Nyakaba, said early this week. 

Despite the promise, Ojiro Odhiambo of Vocal Africa, claimed that "City Morgue has informed the families that it is yet to receive an official communication from the county government regarding the waiver." 

However, the families can now breathe a sigh of relief after the city's former governor, Mike Sonko, cleared the funeral expenses for the victims of floods.

"We have cleared all the autopsy and mortuary bills for the victims. We will also buy coffins and offer transport for the bodies. Yesterday (Tuesday), we facilitated the burial of two bodies," said Mohamed Jawe of Sonko Rescue Team.