Kilifi: Anger As Govt Postpones Planned Exhumation Of Bodies in Kwa Binzaro
- The exhumation of bodies at Kwa Binzaro mass graves in Kilifi has been postponed indefinitely due to shortages in personnel and essential equipment
- The delay has sparked outrage among human rights activists, who warn that remains are being desecrated by wild animals and stored in undignified conditions
- Residents fear delays in DNA testing will prolong the grief of families awaiting identification of their loved ones
- Activists have called on the government to speed up investigations, stressing that accountability is essential to prevent further loss of life
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Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
The planned exhumation of bodies at the Kwa Binzaro mass graves in Kilifi has been postponed indefinitely, sparking outrage among human rights activists at the Coast.
Source: Getty Images
The delay came three weeks after the graves were discovered near Shakahola, despite the Ministry of Interior having secured the necessary court orders to begin the process.
The exhumations were expected to start on Thursday, August 14, but the exercise failed to materialise.
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Officials cited shortages in human resources and essential equipment as the main impediments.
The delay has intensified fears about the safety and dignity of the remains, as well as the capacity of local facilities to store them.
Vocal Africa CEO Khalid Hussein lamented over the state of the bodies in the area, stating that the dead were in undignified conditions.
"They're still dilly-dallying; no exhumation has commenced. Nothing is happening on the ground, yet we are seeing bones being scattered all over, hyenas digging up the bodies, dogs are digging up the bodies, it is very undignified you know in an African culture to have dead bodies being dug up by wild animals yet we have a government that is supposed to be working to ensure these bodies are recovered," Hussein stated.
Why are Kilifi residents concerned?
Concerns about the identification process are also mounting, particularly due to a shortage of reagents for DNA testing.
Source: UGC
Human rights defenders warn that delays in testing will further prolong the grief of families awaiting news about their loved ones.
"There is a storage problem where the bodies are kept, and we are grieving with the families who have lost their loved ones and have not been able to collect their bodies. That is the responsibility of the government," said Mathias Shipeta of Haki Africa, highlighting the overstretched capacity at the local mortuary.
Activists have urged the government to accelerate investigations into the Kwa Binzaro deaths, emphasising that establishing accountability is crucial not only for justice but also to prevent further loss of life.
How will govt bury Shakahola victims?
As earlier reported, the government is still in the process of identifying and disposing of bodies recovered from Shakahola, raising further concern about the handling of Kwa Binzaro's remains.
Interior Cabinet Secretary hinted at the possibility of a mass burial for the Shakahola bodies, a move that human rights groups say undermines the purpose of exhumation.
The rights groups pointed out that it makes no sense to exhume the bodies from Shakahola and then bury them in a mass grave.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
