How secure is Nakuru's morgue where baby Mercy's body went missing?

At the Nakuru County Teaching and Referral hospital mortuary, a security guard seats at the main entrance, with the gate halfway open.

On the opposite side of this entrance, near the incomplete Trauma Centre, is a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) camera facing the main gate. However, this appears to be the only CCTV camera in the vicinity.

There are two other entrances on the other side, both of which remain locked at all times. The security personnel has the keys to these two gates.

Mtaa Wangu visited the morgue to observe the security measures in place, following the puzzle of a missing body belonging to baby Mercy Chepng’eno.

In the half hour we spend at the facility, the security guard opens one of the gates for a hospital vehicle to pass, then immediately locks it again.

During our visit, we saw only one office operating—the office of the Funeral Home In-charge.

People would enter the office and, after completing their business, would be directed to another wing of the mortuary.

Everything seemed to be done in an orderly manner giving an overall view of a premises secured.

So how then could the body of the 7-month-old baby go missing amidst all these checks?

Today marks exactly one week and four days since the mysterious disappearance of Baby Mercy.

As the days go by, more questions continue to arise regarding what really happened.

In an interview conducted on January 12, the parents of the 7-month-old infant alleged that their child may have been sold, as the hospital refused to provide them with contact details for the family suspected to have taken Mercy's body.

In an exclusive interview with the Medical Superintendent, Dr. James Waweru, he confirmed that the baby had died.

"The doctor confirmed the death, and it was certified," he said. However, he revealed that the problem lay at the mortuary.

"We know the doctor and the mortuary attendant who were involved in the incident, and they even put the sticker on the baby’s face when she died," he said.

He also noted that so far, they have not received further updates from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI).

In prior interviews, the Medical Superintendent mentioned they suspect there may have been a mix-up and that another family might have mistakenly taken the body of a child that didn’t belong to them.

He added that since Monday of last week, five children had been taken from the morgue for burial.

“In the event of a mix-up, there should be an unclaimed child’s body still lying somewhere. While conducting your own investigations at the hospital, have you been able to track down the family that might have taken the wrong body?”

When this question was posed to the Superintendent, he replied, “So far, nothing.”