Without a trace: Nairobi family in search of kin who disappeared 3 years ago

A family in Nairobi’s Dandora estate is desperately searching for their missing kin who disappeared three years ago.

The family says Edwin Mutaruki Kamanda, a father of three, disappeared in December 2021 alongside four others whose bodies were later discovered in River Yala in 2022. However, Edwin's whereabouts remain a mystery.

Edwin’s wife Joyce Njoki said: “If hata tungepata body tuzike, ingekuwa sasa, hatujawai mpata.”

Njoki says that since her husband went missing, she has been left as the sole bread winner.

“Hajawai shikwa na hana any criminal record, for the 15 years tumekuwa pamoja, hajakuwa na kesi,” she said.

Edwin operated as a taxi driver. And on the fateful day, he left their home at 5am while promising to come back, but three years down the line, nobody has seen him.

He told his family he had gotten a car hire trip to drop some clients in Nakuru, and left Nairobi driving his vehicle in the company of four people.

Somewhere along the way something happened. His wife tried calling him but he was unreachable. A search was mounted and his vehicle was found abandoned near a supermarket in Gilgil town.

“Nilimtafuta sana, kwa hospitali, mortuary, kila mahali lakini hatukumpata,” Njoki says.

In the midst of all this, unidentified bodies were being discovered in River Yala, Siaya County. The bizarre discovery would shock the country.

Njoki and her family traveled to Yala for a search of their kin. The family managed to identify the bodies of men who were in the company of Edwin. The bodies were wrapped in sacks.

“Na upto date, hatujai jua kama aka alive or he is dead, na sasa kama za wale alikuwa amebeba zilipatikana Yala, mi hata nilikuwa nadhani atapatikana Yala,” added Njoki.

The search exercise in River Yala ended with at least 34 Kenyans were found murdered and their bodies dumped in the river.

But Edwin was not among them, leaving the family in darkness not knowing if he is dead or alive.

“Hata kama yeye angepatikana tungemjua haraka coz the other 4 bodies hazikuwa decomposed kabisa, but zilikuwa na torture sana,” Njoki recalls.

Investigators documented the scene and the outcome has never been made public. Edwin’s family says police have not been helpful in pursuit of the missing person case filed at Dandora Police Station under OB number 34/5/12/2021.

“Kwa police waliniambia nisahau, sasa I am stuck on what to do, hawakunisaidia,” says Njoki.

“Sidhani kama watu wa kawaida ndio walifanya hiyo kitu, but to me wangenisaidia tu nipate closure nijue ako hapa but I have tried and I’m stuck, niko tu,” adds Njoki.

Each day as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, Njoki remains hopeful that one day she will get know the whereabouts of her husband and the father of her three children.