Workers protest stench of death at city morgue

The first thing that hits anyone approaching the Nairobi City Mortuary doors is the smell. Workers who have to endure the stench of decomposing human bodies describe it as a living hell.

Coolers at Nairobi’s biggest mortuary have been out of order for more than a week, making the mortuary resemble a scene from a horror movie.

Rotting bodies piled high, some of them unclaimed for months and providing breeding grounds for maggots, rats and other vermin, make for a traumatising experience for both workers and relatives of the dead. Staff have taken to deadening their sense of smell with frequent shots of alcohol.

Relatives of the dead are fainting in shock when they see the state of the bodies of their loved ones.

On Tuesday afternoon, mortuary superintendent Jacob Nyongesa conceded that things were not good, but added that the “situation is under control”.

However, the statement was in stark contrast with the situation Nation journalists encountered at the mortuary the same day.

A strong smell of death welcomed us at the gate of the mortuary where most bodies of the common people end up. They include murder and car accident victims and those of tragedies and police shootings.

Rotting, bloated bodies lay on concrete slabs and in the chambers of the coolers.

Our photographer almost suffocated from the overpowering stench and rushed out begging for milk.

Another colleague refused to go any closer.

The workers complained of headaches and psychological torture. Some choose to go to work drunk.

Workers who cannot be named for fear of reprisals described the conditions as “pathetic” and “dangerous” and the worst ever in their work as mortuary attendants. The City Mortuary, located on Ngong Road near the Mbagathi Road round-about is run by the City Council of Nairobi.

When we contacted Town Clerk Philip Kisia, he referred us to the council’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr Robert Ayisi.

“The machines broke down last week and we spent the whole day last Friday fixing them. The motors were spoilt and we used Sh2.5 million to fix them,” said Dr Ayisi.

But mortuary superintendent Mr Nyongesa said the machines broke down on Saturday, a day after they were allegedly repaired.

“Fans in the drawers broke down in one of the chambers carrying 24 bodies. The Medical Officer for Health provided Sh200,000 which we used to fix them on Sunday (February 5),” said Mr Nyongesa.

However, our visit on early Wednesday morning established that the machines were still out of order.

This is not the first time that the city mortuary that was built in 1956 to cater for 145 bodies is in the news for the wrong reasons.