Help us find our sons, family pleads with police

 

 Flora Nyambura Kamau has spent sleepless nights since her husband Moses Kamau disappeared mysteriously four months ago.

“It has been a period of agony as the family cannot trace my husband and his brother Joseph Macharia. Nobody knows if they are still alive,” Mrs Kamau said.

She looked devastated when the Nation found her at Nakuru Central Police Station staring in space. “I’ve cried from the day he went missing, though I still have hopes of seeing him.”

Mrs Kamau’s devastation is compounded by the fact that investigative agencies haven’t told her much about the search for the two men—Macharia, 39, a teacher at Kijabe Girls High School, and Kamau, 37, a land broker and businessman.

 The brothers vanished in Nakuru town on September 21, and police say they have no concrete leads on their whereabouts.

Recorded statements

The Nation established that several family members have recorded statements with police over the disappearance.

Mr Kamau also operated an electronics shop at Pinkam Building in the town centre.

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives are trying to piece together information in a bid to unravel the mystery surrounding the two men’s disappearance.

A senior detective told the Nation on Friday that their mobile phone signals were last located around Nakuru Golf Club, which borders the expansive Menengai forest.

“The last place the mobile phone signals for one of the siblings pinged was around the golf club,” the detective said.

“Kamau’s phone signals were located around 1.29pm, on September 21. Macharia’s signal went off a few minutes later. We are still piecing together information to help find the brothers. We’ve made some progress.”

The DCI detectives have been analysing their mobile phone data and tracking their movements, and also establishing the last people the brothers communicated with.

“We have established that the brothers had lunch at Shemeji’s Hotel before their mobile phone signals were located at Nakuru Golf Club. They went missing thereafter,” another detective told the Nation.

“The question is whether they were the ones who had the handsets at the time.”

Intensified the search

A third person was reportedly seen with Mr Kamau and Mr Macharia just after they had had lunch and around the time of their disappearance.

However, the DCI officers have not yet identified the person.

Nakuru County Police Commander Stanley Kilonzi said security agents have intensified the search for the brothers.

“Detectives are investigating the matter and are trying to piece together information, including analysing the two brothers’  mobile phone data,” the county police boss said.

However, the family says police are not doing much.

“We’ve been to the regional DCI offices and Nakuru Central Police Station. Every time we go there, we’re told to wait for a comprehensive report on the brothers’ disappearance.

“Why can’t police speed up the investigations and establish if Kamau and Macharia were kidnapped or might have been killed?” Ms Grace Njoki, the brothers’ aunt, asked.

The family has appealed to DCI head George Kinoti “to intervene and help trace my nephews. Four months is a very long time,” Ms Njoki said.

Another relative identified as Joel Theuri said the family has frantically been looking for the brothers.

“We’ve been to many places, including mortuaries, hospitals and forests, but all this has been in vain.

“We hope to find them alive,” Mr Theuri added.

A month after they disappeared, relatives and friends of the two brothers have combed Menengai forest in their search.

They have also been to Menengai crater several times.

Family members believe Mr Kamau and Mr Macharia may have been kidnapped by unknown people because of a business deal gone sour.

They have been meeting at the brothers’ grandmother’s home in Kwa Amos, Bahati constituency, every day.

The family’s ancestral home is Engashura, but Mr Kamau lived with his two wives and children in Kwa Amos.

Mr Macharia lived with his family in Salgaa, on the Nakuru-Eldoret road.

Unravel the puzzle

Nakuru Human Rights Network director David Kuria yesterday appealed to police to speed up investigations into the disappearance of the two brothers.

“We call on the police to work closely with family members and get information that could help unravel the puzzle,” Mr Kuria told the Nation.