The Ministry of Gender, Culture, and Children Services has launched investigations into the burial of nine individuals believed to be street-connected persons at Lang’ata Cemetery.
In a statement, Gender CS Hannah Cheptumo said the nine bodies were released from City Mortuary and Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital Mortuary and buried on January 29, 2026.
She noted that bodies had been held in mortuaries for several months in 2025, and the burials were facilitated by well-wishers and community-based organisations.
“The deceased persons are reported to have been male adults, except one infant. These bodies had reportedly been held in mortuaries for several months in 2025, and the burials were facilitated by well-wishers and community-based organisations. The Ministry of Gender, Culture, and Children Services was not informed of these developments before the burials,” CS Cheptumo stated.
The Gender CS said no official post-mortem reports or verified medical documentation have been made available to confirm the identities, causes of death, or the circumstances surrounding the hospitalisation and deaths of the individuals.
CS Cheptumo said her office has taken the allegations seriously and already initiated steps to establish the facts surrounding the reported burials.
“The Government is therefore working closely with the Nairobi City County, the Ministry of Health, and other relevant agencies to establish accurate records, including gender, age, identity, and cause of death, and to determine whether the deceased persons were indeed members of street-connected populations,” she stated.
Further, Cheptumo said the government remains concerned about the welfare, dignity, and safety of all vulnerable persons, including those living and working on the streets.
“Kenya has made significant progress in street families rehabilitation, with the 2025 National Census of Street Families indicating a reduction in the street population from 46,936 in 2018 to 18,049.
“This progress has been achieved through coordinated rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration, psychosocial support, education, and economic empowerment programmes implemented in collaboration with county governments, civil society organizations, and development partners,” she added.
