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Nairobians need to embrace cremation – city official

January 18th, 2014 1 min read

Cremation would help a great deal in decongesting City Mortuary, a senior health official at City Hall has said.

Dr Robert Ayisi, the County Director of Medical Services has encouraged county residents to take up cremation as a way of easing pressure on both the morgue and Lang’ata Cemetery which are stretched beyond limit.

In so doing, advised Dr Ayisi, residents stand to reap a number of benefits.

“Nairobians are reminded to embrace cremation, which is not only cheap but quite hygienic and available at Lang’ata cemetery,” he said.

There are more than 200 bodies at any given time against a morgue capacity of 160 bodies, with an average of 18 bodies being brought in per day, mostly by the police.

He said a bereaved family stands to save more than half what it would spend transporting the body and on other funeral expenses.  “Imagine raising thousands of shillings to ferry a body to a far-flung place for  burial. It is not worth it, especially when you can conveniently cremate them,” he added.

Cremation also offers the best solution to the lack of space at the Lang’ata cemetery, which Dr Ayisi admitted is already filled up.