Five instances when exhumation is carried out

 

The body of Jeff Mwathi was exhumed on March 31, 2023, for further investigation into the cause of his death. 

This was after the police poked holes into the narrative that he had taken his own life.

That brings the question of when is a body exhumed and who covers the cost.

Below are instances when a body is exhumed

1. Family request

 The relatives of the deceased may request that the remains be moved from the original grave and transferred to a family plot in the same or different cemetery.

This might be because of family issues, and land disputes among other reasons.

2. Need for cremation

A body may have been buried against a person's will.

The family might make a decision to exhume the body to have it cremated.

3. Further assessment/ Identify the cause of death

Some people are buried without the cause of their death being established.

When there are doubts about the cause of death, a body might be exhumed like in the case of Jeff Mwathi.

Jeff had allegedly been assumed to have taken his life. Investigations by the DCI however showed he was murdered.

 4. Repatriation

One might have been buried in a foreign land. The family might decide to repatriate the remains back home.

5. Determine the identity of the remains by DNA testing

Ever heard of cases where people bury the wrong body?

In such instances, the body is exhumed to allow DNA testing.