Puzzle Of Mysterious 15 Deaths of Street Children in Nairobi Under A Month and Mass Burials

The silence at Lang’ata Cemetery was deafening on Wednesday as nine small wooden coffins, one containing the body of a three-month-old infant, were lowered into mass graves in a haunting spectacle that has left Kenyans demanding answers about the mysterious deaths of 15 street children over the past month.

In scenes that would break the hardest of hearts, barefoot street families, the very people most Nairobians ignore at traffic lights, served as pallbearers.

They carried the small caskets of their own, tears streaming down their faces as they bid farewell to friends who had shared scraps of food and cardboard shelters with them on the capital’s harsh streets.

The burial, coordinated by city politician and philanthropist Agnes Kagure through her foundation, has exposed a disturbing pattern of deaths among Nairobi’s most vulnerable population, with the actual causes remaining largely unexplained despite bodies being collected from various city mortuaries.

Records from the Nairobi Funeral Home reveal a chilling timeline. Two children died suddenly on December 26, 2025, in Mlango Kubwa and Mathare. Another took their own life in Kariobangi on December 29. Two more succumbed to what officials vaguely termed “natural causes” on Christmas Day and Boxing Day from Pangani and Shauri Moyo.

But the circumstances surrounding these deaths have raised more questions than answers. The causes listed range from pneumonia and malnutrition to the euphemistic “mob justice,” a term that barely conceals the brutal violence street children face daily.

Among those mourning was Moses, who spoke quietly about his friend Enock. “I never imagined I would be burying him so soon,” Moses said, his voice breaking. “To survive on the streets as a street child, you can’t be sober. Enock was always intoxicated.”

The two had met at Mlango Kubwa along Juja Road, where fate had united them. Now, Moses was left with only memories of the good days they shared.

Then there was Mary Nyambura, who knew Munyiri as a good neighbor from their base around Pangani Girls’ High School. “We one day found him dead,” Nyambura said, her voice heavy with grief. “We think he was strangled to death.”

Peter Wanjiru, known as Chokora Msafi and coordinator of street families, painted a grim picture of life on Nairobi’s streets. “We’re not on the streets because we like it. It’s because of circumstances,” he said. “The cause of death for most is cold and hunger.”

The deaths reveal a darker truth about Kenya’s capital. While most of the deceased were between 18 and 35 years old, the presence of a three-month-old infant among them underscores the vulnerability of street families.

Agnes Kagure, who covered the burial costs and provided buses to transport the bodies and mourners, did not mince her words. “They die from malnutrition. Others are attacked by criminals at night. Others develop pneumonia because of sleeping on the streets,” she said.

Kagure challenged the county government to establish clear, humane systems for handling unclaimed bodies and supporting street families. “Hunger, illness, neglect and unexplained deaths are daily realities for street families,” she stated. “I call on the county leadership to wake up and activate coordinated healthcare, feeding programs, and rehabilitation initiatives.”

The businesswoman and gubernatorial hopeful criticized what she described as systemic failure by county leadership under Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration. “This situation persists because our county leadership has failed, and we have developed indifference as a society,” she said.

According to mortuary records, nine bodies were collected from the Nairobi Funeral Home, while others came from Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital mortuary. Six more bodies remained at the facilities awaiting postmortem examinations, adding to the mystery surrounding the deaths.

Pastor David Maina of PEFA Church, Lang’ata, who presided over the brief ceremony, offered the only comfort available. “From earth you came and earth you return,” he prayed as each small coffin was lowered six feet under.

The mass burial has sparked outrage on social media, with Kenyans questioning what led to the sudden spike in deaths among street children. Many have criticized the lack of official investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

“These were lives that mattered. Children who deserved love, protection, and a future,” one social media user wrote. “May our leaders, institutions, and all of us as a society wake up and act, because silence and inaction are costing lives.”

The tragedy has also highlighted the broader crisis of street children in Kenya. According to the Consortium of Street Children, an international charity, Kenya has between 250,000 and 300,000 street children, with approximately 60,000 in Nairobi alone.

Research conducted in Eldoret between 2009 and 2016 on street-connected young people found that they carry a disproportionate burden of morbidities and engage in practices that heighten their risk of premature mortality. The study revealed that tuberculosis, injuries, and HIV/AIDS were among the leading causes of death.

For Nairobi’s street children, survival is a daily battle against hunger, cold, violence, and disease. Many turn to glue sniffing to numb the pain of their existence. Others fall victim to mob justice, criminal attacks, or simply succumb to the harsh conditions.

The nine coffins at Lang’ata Cemetery represent more than just statistics. They represent children who had names, dreams, and friendships. They represent a society’s failure to protect its most vulnerable.

As the red earth of Lang’ata covered the 15 coffins, traffic on Lang’ata Road roared on, oblivious. Nairobi had buried its shame, but the problem remains alive on the streets.

Tonight, another child will sleep in the cold. Tomorrow, another might not wake up. Unless urgent action is taken, another mass burial may soon be needed.

The question that haunts the city is simple yet profound: How many more children must die before Nairobi confronts this crisis?

Kagure’s foundation has promised to organize a county-wide medical camp for street families and continue pushing for systemic reforms. But for Moses, Nyambura, and the dozens of other street families who watched their friends being buried, the damage is already done.

“From earth you came and earth you return.” The pastor’s words echo across the cemetery, a reminder that in death, at least, these forgotten children finally found peace.

But for those who remain on Nairobi’s streets, the struggle continues. The mystery of why 15 of their own died in such a short span remains unsolved. The city’s indifference remains unchanged. And the next victim, statistically speaking, is already out there, invisible to most, fighting to survive one more day.