Kericho Cemetery Case: Three Charged After 33 Bodies Were Exhumed
By Kelvin Kibet | Updated October 9, 2026
The investigation into bodies buried at Makaburini Cemetery in Kericho has moved from an inquiry into a formal criminal case. Investigators exhumed 33 bodies in March 2026; three people were charged in September over the alleged handling and burial of the remains. The charges are allegations, and the court has not established guilt.
What the exhumation established
A court-authorised exhumation in March recovered 33 bodies, reported by government pathologists as 25 children and eight adults. The DCI said the remains originated from Nyamira County Referral Hospital. Nyamira officials had said that 13 bodies had been authorised for disposal, leaving a discrepancy that became a focus of the investigation.
Those findings concern the number and handling of the remains. They do not, by themselves, establish how any person died or who was responsible. Early public speculation that the discovery proved a homicide or a wider mass killing was not supported by the facts reported at that stage.
Three people charged; case remained pending
On September 14, 2026, Citizen TV reported that cemetery supervisor Richard Towett and Nyamira County officials David Haraka and Jason Machora were charged in connection with the alleged burial and transportation of the bodies. The prosecution alleges violations of Section 21 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act. The three were remanded for 30 days, with the matter scheduled for mention on October 15, 2026. As of this update on October 9, that mention date had not yet occurred.
A charge is not a conviction. The court process is intended to test the prosecution’s evidence and the accused persons’ responses. This article will need a further update after a reliable report or court record confirms what happened at the next appearance.
What remains to be established
The public record cited here does not establish the identities of all the deceased, explain the full documentation trail, or provide a final judicial finding about the conduct of each accused person. Investigators and the court may address those questions as the case proceeds. Readers should distinguish court allegations from findings and avoid sharing unverified claims about the deceased.
