Postmortem examinations conducted on the bodies of street families found dead in various parts of Nairobi have revealed pneumonia as the primary cause of death, officials have confirmed.
According to pathologists, most of the victims suffered from severe lung infections linked to pneumonia, which proved fatal. The autopsies also established that starvation and physical injuries contributed to the deaths of some individuals.
Police said several of the bodies were recovered from streets, alleys and informal shelters across the city over the past month and later taken to the City Mortuary.
In some cases, the victims — including children — were allegedly subjected to mob justice after being accused of petty crimes such as theft, authorities disclosed.
“There were clear signs of trauma on some of the bodies,” officials said, adding that mob-related violence was a contributing factor in a number of the deaths.
The postmortem examinations were conducted on Thursday at the City Mortuary, ahead of the burial of ten victims at Lang’ata Cemetery in an emotional ceremony attended by fellow street families and human rights activists.
Authorities expressed concern over the rising number of deaths among street families in Nairobi, noting that approximately 15 people living on the streets have died within the past month alone.
One of the victims was confirmed to have drowned, according to autopsy findings.
The deaths have renewed calls for urgent intervention to address the plight of homeless families, with activists urging the government to strengthen social protection, healthcare access, and safety for vulnerable populations living on the streets.
