One year later, police yet to trace missing colleague

Detectives are still searching for a policewoman who went missing a year ago.

Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) say the search of Police Constable Eunice Achieng’ Ogal has been complicated, with reports that she might have been involved in more than one love relationship.

Nyanza Regional DCI boss James Kipsoi said a team of officers from DCI headquarters have been unsuccessfully tracking the officer.

“We will inform the family once we get new leads. For now, we cannot conclusively say that the officer was murdered,” Kipsoi said.

Early investigations had indicated that some people might have conspired with the ex-husband of the missing officer, the late John Owuor, to kill the officer.

She was attached to Nyanchwa Police Station in Kitutu Central, Kisii County.

On August 5, 2020, nearly a week after Eunice went missing, the body of her ex-husband was found behind their homestead at Ragak in Rachuonyo Sub-county, Homa Bay.

He had hanged himself using a leso, which was positively identified by the house help as the one the missing officer wore when she left their house in Nyanchwa estate.

A police report indicates the couple had separated over a Sh250,000 debt and other domestic issues.

But Owuor is said to have lured Eunice that he got the money which led to their meeting in Rongo town on July 30, 2020.

After their meeting, the officer's phone was switched off until the following day at 2.35 pm. She sent a text message to her house help and directed her to take the children to her parent's home in Migori County.

According to the police, the same phone also sent abusive messages to the missing officer's elder sister Janet Akinyi and her current husband.

The ex-husband’s phone was traced to Nkararo in Transmara West and was switched off on July 31.

But the officer’s phone was later turned on the night of July 31 at Rongo town.

Police suspect that the person in possession of her phone was in Rongo.

According to Akinyi, the family had in December 2019, received a dowry payment from the officer’s current husband.

The husband, who operates a shop and some guest rooms at Oyugis, had moved in with the officer at her house.

Akinyi claimed Owour is suspected to have squandered the Sh250,000, which was the beginning of the endless wrangles.

“Our family was opposed to their marriage because, at some point in mid-2018, he had attempted to commit suicide,” said Akinyi.

Akinyi explained that the man lied to her sister that he had used the money to buy a piece of land in Transmara and wanted to plant sugarcane.

Owour is said to have also requested Sh86,000 from the officer to buy farm inputs and pay workers at the farm. She allegedly gave out the money.

“He had land documents of the said land, but we have since confirmed the documents were forged,” said Akinyi.

Three days before Eunice went missing, she confided in her sister of plans to meet the ex-husband and visit the piece of land.