From River Yala to Kericho: What is the government hiding?
Crime and Justice
By
Emmanuel Kipchumba
| Mar 23, 2026
Fredrick Odhiambo Ojiro, head of rapid response at Focal Africa, addresses the media at Kericho Public Cemetery following the discovery of bodies. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]
The discovery of a suspected mass grave in Kericho County has once again pushed the country into uncomfortable territory, raising difficult questions about who is killing, who is failing to prevent it, and whether the very institutions mandated to protect life are either overwhelmed or complicit.
On Saturday, authorities confirmed the discovery of approximately 14 bodies, some reportedly mutilated, at the Makaburini public cemetery in Kericho.
According to witnesses, a white Land Cruiser had delivered the bodies under the cover of routine burial arrangements, with two unidentified grave diggers allegedly hired to dig the grave.
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The details echo a pattern that has emerged in recent years, where bodies are discovered in rivers, forests, quarries, and now cemeteries.
From the dozens of bodies retrieved from River Yala in 2021 and 2022, to the shocking Mukuru quarry discovery in 2024, to the graves of Shakahola forest, a troubling picture is beginning to form, one that experts say cannot be dismissed as isolated incidents.
According to Hussein Khalid, the executive director of Vocal Africa, the recurrence points to a deeper crisis.
Homicide detectives at Kericho Public Cemetery during investigations into the mysterious burial of 14 unidentified bodies. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]
“The respect for the sanctity of life is completely gone in Kenya,” said Khalid.
Khalid said that the Kericho discovery is part of a broader, disturbing trend.
“I would not say these incidents are isolated. Because in the last few years, we have seen quite a number,” he said.
At the heart of the concern lies the question, where is law enforcement? Homicide detectives at Kericho Public Cemetery during investigations into the mysterious burial of 14 unidentified bodies. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]
Under Kenyan law, the police have a clear duty to prevent crime and protect life. Yet, in many of these cases, the bodies are discovered not by police investigations but by residents.
In Mukuru, for instance, bodies of women were found in an abandoned quarry turned dumpsite approximately 100 metres from a police station. The proximity raised immediate suspicions.
Similarly, the River Yala case, which saw dozens of bodies dumped in the water over months, drew accusations from human rights groups that victims of enforced disappearances, some allegedly last seen in police custody.
Even in cases where the state is not directly accused of killings, questions linger over failure to act. Legal experts argue that such incidents point to violations of constitutional rights.
“If we start with Article 26 of the Constitution, the right to life is sacrosanct. The existence of mass graves, whether through cult-led starvation like Shakahola or suspected extrajudicial killings, is prima facie evidence of a violation of this right,” said Abel Nabutola, an advocate of the High Court.
“The state has what we call a positive obligation, not just to refrain from killing, but to proactively protect lives. In cases like Shakahola, there was a failure of local intelligence and police to act on early warnings. That points to negligence,” he added.