NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 31 – Investigations into the controversial mass grave in Kericho County have gained momentum, with six suspects now in police custody as detectives intensify efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding the illegal burial of multiple bodies.The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), led by Director Mohamed Amin, is spearheading the probe, with more arrests expected as authorities pursue additional suspects believed to be linked to the saga.According to investigators, the suspects already detained are assisting police in establishing how dozens of bodies ended up buried in a single site under unclear and irregular circumstances. Detectives are particularly focusing on the chain of custody, authorization process, and whether due legal procedures were followed.The case has drawn in Nyamira County officials, after it emerged that some of the bodies may have originated from the county. However, Governor Amos Nyaribo has distanced his administration from the full scale of the incident.Nyaribo maintains that Nyamira County only authorized the disposal of 13 unclaimed bodies and had released funds to facilitate a routine transfer to Kericho for burial.“We followed all procedures and only sanctioned 13 bodies. We cannot account for the additional numbers being reported,” he said.He further alleged that officials entrusted with the process may have diverted the bodies, accusing them of failing to remit funds to Kericho County and instead colluding with individuals linked to a private morgue to conduct unauthorized burials.Meanwhile, Kipchumba Murkomen termed the incident “unacceptable,” revealing that preliminary findings point to possible collusion between public officials and cemetery attendants at Makaburini Public Cemetery.Murkomen disclosed that the number of bodies interred exceeded what had been authorized by a court order, raising serious legal and ethical concerns.“There was a clear court directive on the number of bodies to be buried. What happened outside that framework, especially at night, is illegal and must be addressed,” he said.Authorities have since exhumed several bodies from the site, with postmortem examinations already conducted on some. Preliminary findings indicate that a number of the deceased may have suffered head injuries, further deepening the mystery surrounding their deaths.The government has pledged a comprehensive investigation, with officials promising that all those found culpable—regardless of rank—will face the full force of the law.As the probe widens, detectives are now working to establish the origin of the additional bodies, identify those responsible for authorizing the burials, and determine whether a broader criminal network could be involved.