The planned burial of 443 bodies and human remains linked to the Shakahola tragedy has come under fresh scrutiny, with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna demanding proof that every possible effort has been made to identify the victims before their interment.
Sifuna has asked the Senate Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights to establish the progress made in identifying the remains through DNA profiling and other forensic procedures before Kilifi County proceeds with the planned December 2026 burial.
The remains are being preserved at Malindi Sub-County Hospital, where Kilifi County had earlier given families 21 days to come forward, identify their missing relatives and collect the remains before the burial process begins.
“Senator Sifuna raised concerns over the planned mass burial, particularly the status of DNA profiling and other forensic identification processes being undertaken on the remains,” Parliament said.
Sifuna wants the Senate committee to determine whether relatives of people reported missing have been properly involved in the process and whether authorities have done enough to establish the identities of those whose remains are yet to be claimed.
“He also questioned whether relatives and families of persons reported missing have been adequately engaged and whether all reasonable efforts to identify the victims and reunite them with their families have been exhausted,” Parliament said.
The senator has also questioned whether some of the remains could still be useful to ongoing investigations involving missing persons.
His concern is that burying the remains before all forensic work is completed could affect efforts to gather information that may help establish what happened to some of those who remain missing.
The Senate committee has therefore been asked to give an update on how many of the 443 remains have so far been identified and to explain the reasons behind the decision to schedule their burial for December.
Kilifi officials had previously reported that 443 bodies and body parts remained at Malindi Sub-County Hospital, with only a small number having been identified through DNA matching at the time.
Sifuna is further seeking assurances that families will have enough time and opportunity to establish whether their missing relatives are among those preserved at the hospital before the burial takes place.
“Sen. Sifuna further wants assurances that families will be accorded a reasonable opportunity to identify and claim their relatives so that the victims can be given dignified burials by their families,” Parliament said.
Beyond the planned interment, the senator is also seeking information on the progress of recovery and investigative activities at Shakahola.
He wants authorities to clarify whether the ongoing work has established the possibility that more human remains could still be located within the wider Shakahola area.
“The Senator’s intervention seeks to ensure that the process of interring the remains does not compromise ongoing investigations or deny families the opportunity to establish the fate of their missing relatives,” Parliament said.
The questions raised by Sifuna now place the planned December burial under renewed attention, particularly over the status of forensic identification, the participation of affected families and whether investigations and recovery efforts have reached a stage where the remains can be safely interred.