Nairobi, Kenya: Two minors from Kwa Rhonda estate in Nakuru who went missing on Saturday last have been found hypnotized at a residential house in Ngata estate.
The two sisters aged 14 and 15 were on Monday night found locked in a house believed to belong to an untrained teacher who is an alumnus of Uhuru Secondary School where the younger of the minor schools.
Naomi, the girl's mother says her daughters left home on Saturday morning. They were going to a local church to attend a wedding. “They left home at around 11am and headed to church. I also went to work and on coming back in the evening they were yet to return. I looked for them at their friends’ homes in vain,” said Naomi.
Upon further investigation, she found out the girls did not set foot at the church for the wedding ceremony. This prompted her to report the matter at Rhonda Police Post under OB number 39/16/03/2019.
Phone number
On Sunday Naomi called a phone number that one of her daughters had previously used to call her when she was late after attending a science congress. The number belonged to a teacher who was assisting the students with their science projects at school.
“I recalled my daughter calling me with a teacher’s phone asking to be picked up at school after they were late from the Congress. I called the number and the teacher promised to assist me search for the children,” said Naomi.
She informed the school principal of the incident, the principal assured her that he would communicate the message to the students to help track the missing girls.
Random door-to-door search
On Monday evening after school, a group of over ten students from Uhuru Secondary School escorted by residents embarked on a door to door search for the girls. The search ended at Ngata estate, a few kilometres from the school.
The sisters were found in a house believed to be of a former teacher cum science congress assistant who during the search was in constant communication with the family.
“It was around 9pm when one of the students called me saying that they had a lead to where my children were. The man who had been assisting them with science congress projects had escaped after he saw them approach his house,” said George, father of the girls.
With the assistance of the residents, the students escorted the girls who had been hypnotized back to their home. The suspect had also confiscated their mobile phones. The girls were then taken to Rhonda Police Station where they spent the night before being taken to hospital for medical assessment yesterday.
“They couldn’t understand anything at the time they were found and as we took them to the police station. They had recovered by Tuesday morning but couldn’t recall what had happened to them,” said George.
School principal says the suspect is a former student
The school principal Amos Gamba, however, dismissed claims that the suspect was a teacher at the school.
"We only have government teachers in the school. The suspect is a former student and not as alleged. We are cooperating with the police on the matter," said Mr Gamba.
Nakuru Deputy OCPD Daniel Kitavi confirmed that the police are working closely with the school administration to identify and arrest the suspect.
“The matter has been brought to our attention. We are yet to establish the identity of the suspect but through Uhuru Secondary School where he was reportedly working, we shall soon bring him to book. The girls are undergoing medical assessment at a Nakuru hospital,” said Kitavi.
