A Ugandan doctor who travelled to Kenya a week ago in the company of a man identified as a pastor is missing amidst fears that he may have been kidnapped, murdered and secretly buried.
The doctor, identified by a relative as Gideon Wamasebu Simuyu, 62 is reported to have travelled from Uganda by public transport and informed his family he was headed to Webuye in Kakamega County.
But he did not give details of his mission to Webuye town in Western Kenya.
Details from police indicate that a suspect who had been using the doctor’s mobile phone number to send extortion text messages to relatives had been arrested.
It is unclear why the doctor had travelled to Kenya before he reportedly sent a distress call to his relatives, saying his life was in danger.
The doctor is reported to have informed his brother in Uganda and other relatives to send him Sh4 million to save his life.
But he did not give details about the reported kidnap ordeal after he got to Webuye town.
That was the last time he communicated with members of his family before he went missing.
On Sunday, Kakamega North Sub County Police Commander Paul Mwendwa told Nation.Africa that a suspect had been arrested on suspicion of murdering the doctor.
He said homicide detectives and officials from the Ugandan Embassy in Kenya were expected in Kimanget village in Malava constituency to witness the exhumation of a body that had been buried secretly in a rural home by the murder suspect.
“The investigations have been taken over by homicide detectives from the DCI to witness the body being exhumed and carry out investigations to establish whether the body belongs to the missing doctor,” said Mr Mwendwa.
“We will give a briefing after the body has been exhumed and identified. Our officers are currently guarding the scene in Kimanget village,” said Mr Mwendwa.
A relative of the doctor said the suspect in custody was well known to the medic and had visited his home in Uganda on several occasions.
“We are still in the dark on what happened. We have no details on why my uncle travelled to Kenya and what his mission was,” said his nephew, Kennedy Wamasebu. BY DAILY NATION