Puzzle of cases of teenagers gone missing without a trace

Mystery surrounds the rising cases of missing teenage school children in Nakuru County.

The students have vanished without a trace, some for months now.

The latest is 18-year-old Jentrix Auma, a Form Four student at Mary Mount Secondary School, who was reported missing on September 18 after attending prayers in a neighbouring church with other students.

Her mother, Florence Oyigi, told The Standard that she received a call from the school management on September 21 informing her that her daughter had vanished.

“The students had gone for morning prayers at a local church but she never returned to the school with the rest. The school has reported the matter to Molo Police Station,” said Mrs Oyigi.

Incident reported

Molo OCPD Bernard Kioko said the incident was reported at the police station under OB number 14/20/9/2018.

According to the school management, Auma and her friend were found in possession of a mobile phone against the school rules, throwing the two Form Four candidates into a panic.

“Her friend ran away a day earlier and we established that she went home. Auma, unfortunately, never went home. Her friend has told us they never met. We have reported the matter to the police,” said Magdalene Mboka, the school principal.

Her family is worried about her and is concerned that she could fail to sit for her national exams later this month.

Painful experience

“It has been a painful experience for us. I have looked for her at her friends’ places, relatives and police stations in vain,” said Oyigi.

In another incident, 17-year-old Zipporah Wangeci vanished from her home in Lanet.

The Form Three student at Wanyororo Secondary School has been missing since September 3, when she said she was going to fetch a book from a friend’s house.

“She was in good books with her teachers. None of the students has reported having seen her, including those she claimed to be visiting on the day she vanished,” said her mother, Hannah Wangari.

On July 15 Samuel Njuguna, 16, a Form One student at PCEA Elburgon Secondary School, went missing after his mother left him at home studying.

His mother, Beth Njambi, who reported the case to Elburgon Police Station under OB number 30/15/07/2018, has yet to set eyes on her son since.

“I thought he had visited his friends but at around 7pm, we got worried as he never gets home late. We informed the police and our efforts to search for him have been futile,” said Ms Njambi.

Rosebella Bukusa, a Form One student at Potter’s Girls’ High School in Lanet, Nakuru, went missing on May 14, less than two weeks after schools reopened for the second term. Her whereabouts remain unknown.

Her mother, Emmy Migoye, who lives in Teachers Estate, said she received a call from the school on May 13 telling her to visit the school the following day.

“The school matron called me and said I was needed at the school the following day. She said that my daughter had been involved in a case of indiscipline and they wanted me to talk to her,” said Ms Migoye.

Sneaked out

The girl was said to have sneaked out of the school the next morning. The case was reported at Teachers Police Post under OB06/16/05/2018.

Sophia Mogutu, 16, a student at Anestar Victory Girls in Bahati sub-county, has been missing since August 27.

The Form Three student went missing shortly after her father dropped her off at a bus station in Nakuru town where the school bus was waiting.

“We are told that after her father left the bus stage, she went with classmates to an eatery near the station. She didn’t go back to the bus with the rest of the students,” said her mother, Beatrice Kemunto.

The incident was reported to the Nakuru Central Police Station.