Puzzle of missing taxi driver and Nakuru connection

The discovery of a stolen vehicle in Nakuru in the hands of a client who had booked it as a taxi has compounded the mystery of a missing Mombasa cab driver.

For Meshack Kingi, seeing the vehicle, a Nissan Serena registration number KDQ 182F parked outside Mwariki Police Station in Nakuru East was a great relief.

However, the smile on his face faded after he realised that his sister Victoria Mumbua, 35, the driver, was nowhere to be found except her client, who is now the suspect.

It all started on Thursday last week when the suspect identified as Edwin Ngetich, 33, hired Mumbua for a ride from Kwale to Samburu, through a digital hailing app.

After the trip, the suspect requested another ride the next day but this was done through a phone call.

“I tried calling her on Friday but her phone was unusually off. We couldn’t sleep. On Saturday we reported her as missing and circulated the vehicle online,” said Kingi.

Hours later, the family was alerted that the vehicle had been spotted in Kisumu being driven by a male adult who refused to stop when he was flagged down.

“Cab drivers in Kisumu blocked the way for the suspect who was heading towards Busia. He turned back and sped away. I travelled from the Coast the same afternoon,” he said.

The family contacted a company that had installed a tracking device on the vehicle which informed them that the device had been disabled while in Kisumu.

The next person to identify the vehicle on the road was Joseph Mburu, a Nakuru cab driver who had seen its pictures circulated on social media as stolen.

“I had a client who accepted that we trail the car while in contact with the police.

‘‘The driver appeared lost as he kept talking about roads that hit dead ends along the Pipeline-Mzee Wa Nyama Road,” said Mburu.

Mburu said that the suspect drove into a car wash.

“The police arrived minutes later. He claimed that a man identified as Phillip had sent him to have the car washed but could not say where the alleged owner was,” said Mburu.

The vehicle and the suspect were taken to Mwariki Police Station where he was questioned as Kingi travelled back to Nakuru after the discovery was again circulated on social media.

“I was there as the police questioned him but he didn’t give any meaningful information on where my sister is.

‘‘That is the most hurtful thing. Her phones are still switched off,” said Kingi.

Nakuru County Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi confirmed the arrest of the suspect and recovery of the vehicle.