Family claims their kin who was Mbijiwe's driver has been missing

Cynthia Salome Watai, wife of Mathew Muhatia Namasaka, a taxi driver and a friend of security expert Mwenda Mbijiwe who together have gone missing is consoled by a friend Mary Mutachi. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]

The mystery surrounding the whereabouts of security consultant Mwenda Mbijiwe deepened following claims by a family that their kin who was his driver has also been missing.

Mathew Muhatia Namasaka has been missing since June 12, the day Mbijiwe disappeared. Muhatia’s relatives insist the 49-year-old was in communication with Mbijiwe. What they do not know, however, is whether the two men were together when they both disappeared.

In separate interviews with his second wife, Cynthia Salome Watai, and stepbrother Edward Namasaka, the relatives said Muhatia left his Kawangware house early in the morning for a meeting with Mbijiwe.

This was after he received a call from Mbijiwe. Muhatia was awoken by the call, which came at around 4.45am.

He jumped out of bed, washed his face, made a brief prayer, and left shortly before 5am promising his wife he would be back.

He wore a checked blue shirt, blue trousers, and black shoes. The man did not tell his wife the purpose of the early morning appointment with Mbijiwe, whom the family says is a close friend to Muhatia.

According to relatives, so deep was their friendship that Mbijiwe at one point last year spent a night at Muhatia’s rural home in Kitale.

“They were close friends who enjoyed cracking jokes when together,” said Salome, while recounting events leading to the disappearance of her husband of six years.

Apparently, a day before the pair went missing, Mbijiwe drove to Kawangare to meet Muhatia.

This was around lunchtime when the chief executive officer of Eye On Security (K) Limited dropped by to see his friend. The former KDF soldier did not enter Muhatia’s two-roomed corrugated iron sheet house near Congo Stage.

He remained seated in his car where Muhatia went to meet him. The duo talked for about one hour, according to Salome, who went to greet Mbijiwe in the car. The 23-year-old mother of one had a chat with their guest. “He promised to take us to Mombasa for holiday in December alongside his family,” recalls Salome, who made a missing person report at Muthangari Police Station six days after she failed to trace her husband.

Mbijiwe left together with Muhatia. The wife was not told where the duo was going. Her husband returned home at around 4pm. “I prepared him water to shower then we had supper before retiring to bed,” said a teary Salome.

It is in the morning when Mbijiwe called Muhatia for the undisclosed assignment that has turned into a nightmare as the whereabouts of the two men remain unknown. Muhatia left in a hired Toyota Fielder car.

“As a family, we are anxious over his disappearance. The government has the capacity to trace him whether dead or alive. Back home in the village, our elderly parents are in distress over the whereabouts of their son,” said Namasaka.

He said relatives have visited morgues in Nairobi, Thika, and Murang’a but the search has not been successful. 

When he left the house, Muhatia told Salome he would be back in the evening. The distraught wife is still waiting though hope is fast fading as days turn into weeks. It is now 18 days since he went missing.

On the fateful day, Muhatia, who told his family he was working as a taxi driver, called his wife after leaving home. He was returning a missed call from Salome who had called him at around 11am.

“When I called him, he didn’t pick the call, which he returned an hour later,” said Salome. Muhatia told the wife they were okay and immediately sent her Sh300 for supper.

From the background, Salome claims she could hear Mbijiwe laughing while interrupting their conversation.  At around 3pm, Salome tried reaching her husband again but his mobile phone had been switched off. 

After three days of waiting for Muhatia to come home, Salome received a call from Muhatia’s first wife Everlyne, who lives upcountry. Everlyne had also been trying to reach Muhatia in vain.

It was then decided that the matter be reported to police who recorded it under OB/24/18/06/2021.

The car Muhatia was driving was found abandoned but intact along Mai Mahiu Road. It was towed and detained at Tigoni Police Station.