Families of missing kin struggle with morgue trauma

Relatives of missing persons at City Mortuary on July 15, 2024. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

Confronting the harsh reality of identifying bodies leaves many grappling with profound trauma and haunting memories.

In the wake of the Gen Z protests, families have had to move from one morgue to another in search of their loved ones.

Families are also camping at various morgues across the country, hoping to find their missing kin.

Vocal Africa, a human rights lobby group, discovered that more than 50 unidentified bodies have been recorded at the City Mortuary since June 25, many believed to have died during the protests. Some of the bodies reportedly bore bullet wounds.

June 25 marked the climax of the Gen Z protests, which witnessed a violent clash between protesters and police officers, resulting in the loss of lives after the breach of Parliament.

Justus Moseti said he struggled with trauma while searching for his late sister Lilian Nyaboke. Moseti and his family hang on to hope that they would not to find Nyaboke among the mutilated bodies. He recounted how they viewed mutilated bodies in search of their sister.

“It was horrifying. We had to look at all the bodies, yet some could not even be recognised,” said a shaken Moseti.

When the family finally identified Nyaboke's body at City Mortuary, she had a broken leg and a deep cut on her face. The 20-year-old was identified on Sunday, July 14, after she was reported missing on July 11.

Nyaboke allegedly went missing during the protests. However, the family doesn't know whether she participated in the protests and the reasons for her gruesome murder.

The family of the late Sammy Cullen Maina also faced trauma while searching for him. Alex Ndung’u, Maina's brother, narrated how they had to view mutilated bodies to identify their loved one.

“We had to view many bodies before finally identifying him,” he said. 

“Sometimes you close your eyes and see the gory images,” said Ndung’u.

Maina, 24, was pursuing Bachelor's in Communication at KCA University.

Ndung’u narrated that the family decided to visit the morgue after failing to locate Maina in Industrial Area following the Githurai shooting on June 25.

The student's body had severe injuries and despite the post-mortem indicating the cause of death was an accident, the family remains dissatisfied with the results and suspects foul play. The family claims to have received no assistance from the government.

Mwari Muthaura, a clinical psychologist who has dealt with grief-stricken victims, shares ways to cope.

She emphasized the importance of pre-counseling families searching for their kin to prepare them beforehand for the outcome. Ms Muthaura said that unpreparedness in such circumstances may leave people in shock or unable to comprehend the trauma.

“This is called Acute Stress Reaction, whereby people experience shock, numbness, confusion, and cognitive impairment,” she said.

Muthaura recommended that people consider self-care, limit access to social media, seek support, and step back from the protests if it takes a toll on them.

Hussein Khalid, a human rights defender from Vocal Africa, concurred that such experiences are agonising.

Khalid said that nobody can be prepared for what lies beyond the doors of a morgue

He said that the shock of a person learning of a kin’s death and rushing to identify the body can be overwhelming.

“Organisations have been working closely with the families, but so far we haven’t seen any government assistance towards the affected,” he said.

Khalid called upon the government to help families to overcome traumatic experiences.