Families Turned Away at Mortuary Despite Invite Over Missing Body

Two families of the two men who are part of the Mlolongo four yet to be found were turned away from the Nairobi Funeral Home where they had been invited to identify the remains of their kin.

The families of Steve Mbisi and Kalani Muema, who are still missing, had been reportedly asked by the morgue staff only to be turned away because there were too many bodies in the morgue.

“We were told to come today at 10 am to identify the bodies and see if they are our kin but up to now, nothing has happened,” Kalani Mwema’s sister relayed.

They had been summoned after two, Martin Mwau and Justus Mutumwa, of the Mlolongo four were on Thursday discovered dead at the same mortuary.

According to Mbisi’s family, the mortuary staff had informed them that a third body had been brought in on December 18 fifty minutes after the recovery of Justus Mutumwa

This is the body that the Mbisi family hoped to see. Reportedly, a last-minute change in morgue attendants made access difficult.

Responding to the incident, opposition staff accused the staff of colluding with police officers to manage the release of abductees’ bodies to families.

Wiper Party leader was among the leaders who showed up in solidarity with the families.

“The police entries are talking about murder in the first body and the other one by drowning and they want us to believe that that is actually the true story. We are calling it as it is, abductions and killings by the state. State-sponsored,” he claimed.

Speaking to journalists outside the morgue, Mbisi’s wife recalled the day her husband was forcefully taken out of their house by four armed men.

According to her, her husband was showering when the four came in. One reportedly slapped her and instructed her to lie face down and not attempt to take a look at what they were doing.

“The others were telling him (Mbisi) to leave the bathroom, dress up, and take his wallet with him,” she said. 

45 days later, the families have no answers or closure.