As the exhumation into the shakahola grave site continues, those working at the grave sites have come out to share their experiences working at the horrific site.
Harry is one of the people working there. He is one of the locals hired by the authorities to assist in exhaling bodies found within the forest. Their day begins with a briefing from Homicide Director Martin Nyuguto, who oversees the exhumation effort.
They are then divided into three groups of ten and sent to various locations where the graves have already been marked. They have a daily goal of excavating at least 20 burials. He adds that forensic professionals have trained them to do the task.
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He said that they strategize since some portions are difficult to excavate. On other days, they hit the target early because they could find one grave site with more than ten bodies.
He claims they are paid Sh1,000 each day, which he believes needs to be increased for the task they accomplish. They also want the government to employ them, claiming the team deserves well-paying positions.
"We request that any proceeds from the exercise be given to our chairman." This makes it easier for us to obtain the given monies," explains another digger. They have had a horrific experience in the one month they have spent at the crime scene.
I have difficulty sleeping at night. In my dreams, I saw the bodies we recovered during the day. "We want counselling after the exercise, but we're worried that it won't happen," Harry explains.
He claims that the Red Cross has offered them counselling while conducting the exhumation, but they believe it is unnecessary because the exercise is still underway.
Eight remains were exhumed yesterday, raising the total number of dead to 235. At the same time, four persons were rescued: three females and one male adult, with one of the girls in critical condition. This raises the overall number of rescued people to 89. No arrests were made.
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