Police secure Kericho cemetery scene as probe begins into alleged mass grave discovery

In a statement dated March 22, 2026, the NPS said officers in Kericho visited and secured the scene to preserve potential evidence, adding that witness statements have been recorded and more persons of interest are being traced and interviewed.

The probe follows an incident reported at Kericho Police Station on Saturday after a member of the public alerted police to a suspected mass grave within the Makaburini area.

Officers led by the DCIO Kericho, together with Scenes of Crime personnel and police officers, visited the cemetery — about 1.5 kilometres north-east of the station — where they said they found a fresh grave.

Police said two men described as casual workers who dig graves and bury bodies for pay reported that on March 19, 2026, a vehicle arrived at the cemetery and its occupants held discussions with a caretaker identified as Ezekiel.

The two alleged that the same individuals returned the following day at about 6.00am in a white Land Cruiser and engaged them to dig a mass grave.

According to their account, about 14 bodies, all in body bags and some allegedly mutilated, were dumped into a single grave.

Police said investigations are ongoing and an application for an exhumation order is expected to be sought on March 23, 2026, as efforts continue to trace the caretaker for questioning.