Uncollected bodies rot as morgue hit by congestion

By Alex Kiprotich and Robert Kiplagat

Neighbours of the Kabarnet District Hospital are up in arms over a foul smell they claim is emanating from the facility’s mortuary.

The mortuary in Baringo County has been experiencing power blackouts in the recent past, leading to the decomposition of bodies.

A visit to the hospital by The Standard also revealed that the morgue is experiencing congestion, with tens of bodies lying uncollected.

The morgue was designed to hold a maximum of nine bodies, but currently has 41.

The preservation facilities have also never been upgraded since the hospital was established 28 years ago.

The hospital is now turning away bereaved families seeking morgue services due to the congestion.

Turned away

Some of the residents who spoke to The Standard expressed their displeasure over the matter, and called on the Government to ensure the situation is rectified.

“We are now being turned away to seek services elsewhere yet the nearest hospital is either Eldora, Nauru or Koibatek, which is very far and expensive. Kabarnet Hospital is our only lifeline and we call for urgent repair of the facility,” said a concerned resident.

The resident said even when there is space, there have been cases of refrigerators breaking down and bodies rotting.

“It is terrible here. We have nowhere to go and the hospital managers seem less bothered by the issue,” said the resident.

John Korir, who lives about 500 metres from the facility, said the residents have been forced to put up with the foul smell, endangering their lives.

“Sometimes it is just too much to bear but what can we do? The smell is too much and we fear for our health,” he said. Korir called on the hospital’s management to address the issue urgently.

The hospital’s Administrator, Alexander Kenda, said the four units are in disrepair, saying the hospital requires over Sh200,000 to upgrade them.

He said the number of bodies being taken to the hospital have increased in the recent past, with almost half of them being brought in by the police from the rustling-prone areas.

He said other bodies have not been collected due to unresolved court cases and police investigation. He urged the public and police to seek mortuary services in the neighbouring hospitals as they work to upgrade the facility.

Local leaders, who toured the hospital yesterday led by former Baringo Central MP Sammy Mwaita, said the facility needs an urgent upgrade.

The mortuary is one of the only two such public facilities in Baringo County, with the other one being in Koibatek District Hospital.

Mwaita also called on the Municipal Council of Kabarnet to build a municipal morgue and encouraged private investors.