Gem Wagai: A family in Gem Wagai subcounty, whose daughter disappeared for two weeks, only for her remains to be discovered in a thicket, is calling on the government to expedite investigations that will bring to justice those behind the incident.
According to Kenya News Agency, family members stated that Catherine Akinyi, a grade four pupil at Kayieye Primary School, left home on February 9, 2025, to watch a football game at the nearby Nyagondo Primary School grounds, never to return home.
The head of the family, Jerry Oduor, said a two-week search ended with the discovery of her remains in a thicket, a few meters from their home. Speaking at their home in Nyagondo, Oduor described the scene as horrible; only the skeleton and the girl’s clothes and shoes were recovered.
Fighting to hold back tears, a weary Oduor revealed that preliminary investigations in the neighborhood have indicated that the 12-year-old girl was last seen talking to a man only identified as ‘Ras’ in the evening as her colleagues returned home after the match.
He recounted that during the search, some unscrupulous individuals tried to capitalize on the family’s agony by making calls while posing as police officers from Kilgoris, falsely claiming that his daughter had been found and was in their custody at Kilgoris police station. ‘We suspected them and reported the matter to Wagai police station,’ he said, stressing the need to investigate how these individuals learned about his daughter’s disappearance.
The deceased’s elder sister, Mercy Atieno, urged well-wishers and the government to support the family, which is in dire need of funds to cover DNA tests and funeral expenses. Atieno explained that when they took the remains to Siaya County Referral hospital mortuary, they were informed that they would need more than Sh35,000 for mandatory DNA testing before burial.