Three Charged Over Illegal Burials at Kericho Cemetery

Three individuals have been charged before the Kericho Law Courts in connection with a wide-ranging alleged scheme involving unlawful burials, document forgery, and financial impropriety at a cemetery in Kericho County.

The accused: David Araka Makori, a Public Health Officer at Nyamira Teaching and Referral Hospital; Richard Towet, also known as Ezekiel, a caretaker at NCCK Makaburini Cemetery; and Jason Machora Nyarbi, appeared before Hon. Thomas Obutu and pleaded not guilty to all 38 counts brought against them.

Prosecution told the court that the charges stem from a series of incidents involving unauthorized burials at the NCCK Makaburini Cemetery in Kericho East Sub-county.

Court heard that the accused persons are facing multiple counts, including, “burial of deceased persons without a burial permit, making a document without authority, stealing by servant, giving false information to a person employed in the public service, and conspiracy to commit a felony.”

According to the charge sheet presented in court, the alleged offenses culminated on March 20, 2026, when the three suspects are said to have jointly coordinated the burial of several bodies without obtaining the legally required permits.

“On the 20th day of March 2026, at Makaburini Cemetery within Kericho East Sub-county, the accused persons jointly interred multiple bodies without valid burial documentation,” the prosecution stated.

Allegations of Forgery and Fraud

Revealed in more details in court, the accused persons are also suspected of forgery in order to legalize the burials.

As stated in court proceedings, “the three are also accused of forgery having forged a court order in an effort to make the burials legitimate.”

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Other than forgery, financial impropriety has also been charged against the suspects.

According to the information gathered from the court, the three persons are suspected of “misappropriation of funds given to them through their employment.”

It means that apart from violating the procedure, there might be financial improprieties that were part of their illegal activities.

It is further alleged that the accused persons provided misleading information to the judicial authority with the aim of making the burials legally authorized.

As stated in court, “they gave false information to a judicial officer with the intention of obtaining authorization.”

Also Read:Kericho Mass Graves: Governor Nyaribo Says Nyamira County Disposed Only 13 Bodies