Governor Mungaro Makes U-turn After Threatening To Dump Shakahola Bodies In Nairobi

Kilifi Governor Gideon Mungaro has retracted his threat to move bodies of Shakahola victims from Malindi Sub-County Hospital Mortuary and dump them in Nairobi over what he termed as high preservation costs.

The governor was forced to eat humble pie after realising that the bodies exhumed from Shakahola forest and stored in a sealed refrigerated container were neither inconveniencing county finances nor emitting a foul smell.

Just last week, Mung'aro said preserving them had cost his administration Sh36 million in electricity bills.

At least seven bodies have been released to victims families. However, more than 400 are still being preserved in two containers at the Malindi Sub-County Hospital mortuary.

The governor's change of heart comes after an impromptu visit to the mortuary yesterday, during which he held a brief meeting with DCI Homicide Director Martin Nyuguto before conducting an inspection of the containers.

During the visit, Mungaro learnt that the containers were no longer using electricity to preserve bodies after switching to gas.

In an interview afterwards, he also noted that the containers were not emitting any smell. The smell within and around the mortuary, he noted, was coming from bodies at the county's main facility.

Now I know that they discontinued the use of electricity after embalming the bodies and the bill incurred before this is being handled by the Ministry of Interior, he said.

He urged the national government to fast-track matching the DNA of victims so the remaining bodies can be released to relatives. He also asked relatives to come forward and submit DNA samples for matching.

Bodies that will not be collected are expected to be buried in a mass grave at a gazetted section of Shakahola forest.