Police in Nakuru probing dissapearence of 7-month old body from mortuary » Capital News
NAKURU, Kenya, Feb 7 – Police and Directorate of Criminal Investigation officers in Nakuru are investigating mysterious disappearance of the body of a seven-month old body from a public mortuary.
The body of Baby Mercy Chepng’eno went missing from the Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary where is had been kept pending burial.
The baby had died at the while undergoing hospital last week by the parents were shocked to find the body missing when they went back to the mortuary on February 6.
Daniel Kipchirchir and his wife, Sharon Saidi who hail from Kiratina in Nakuru Town East raised the issue with local leaders and the community which prompted a protest at the hospital.
Responding to the matter, Nakuru County through the Department of Health Services said it was addressing the issue with the urgency it required.
County Executive Committee Member, Health Services, Roselyne Mungai said the health department in collaboration with the hospital management had invited police and DCI to investigate the matter.
“Investigations are underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and the county government will ensure those responsible are made accountable,” said Mungai.
She appealed for calm and patience as the police and DCI investigate the incident.
The CECM assured the family and the public in general that the county was committed to transparency.
She added that the county would provide timely update on the matter.
Nakuru Senator, Tabitha Karanja decried the mysterious disappearance which she described as a gross act of negligence.
“It is unfathomable how a clearly labelled body can be lost from the morgue, this is an unforgivable failure by the hospital management,” she said.
Senator Karanja demanded thorough investigations into the matter adding that those responsible should be subjected to disciplinary action.
She noted that Nakuru County Government which runs facility must explain how such an incident happened under its watch.
She described the disappearance as a double tragedy because in addition to losing their child, the couple was also grappling with the disappearance of their daughter’s body.
While sending her condolence to the couple, Karanja said the family could not come to closure because they could not give their daughter her final rites.