Body of missing head teacher found in borehole

Richard Otieno Kobe had been missing for five days. [iStockphoto]

A primary school head teacher in Kisii county who went missing has been found dead in Homa Bay county.

Richard Otieno Kobe, the head teacher of Raganga Primary School in Kisii county had been missing for five days.

Otieno's younger brother Gilbert Kobe, said the body was found in a borehole near his home in Aloo estate, Oyugis town, Rachuonyo South sub-county.

The body was found by his son who had gone to fetch water in the borehole on Sunday.

Gilbert recalled his last phone communication with Otieno on Tuesday last week.

"I was in Narok county where I work. He told me to leave very early in the morning on Wednesday since I ought to have travelled back home on Tuesday. He wanted me to go and help him do some work," he said.

On arrival home on Wednesday, Gilbert was told that the head teacher had gone missing on Tuesday night.

Otieno left home without carrying his mobile phone and never told anyone where  he was going.

His family expected him to be back home but he never returned.

The following day, the family started looking for the head teacher.

They reported the matter to police, went to local radio stations and asked residents if they knew his whereabouts. 

Gilbert said they went to Lida trading center in the neighbouring Rachuonyo North Sub-county to look for the teacher after some people hinted that they  had seen someone who resembled him in the area.

"We went to Lida where we spent Saturday night looking for him. But we didn't see him until today when we were called from home that the body had been found in the borehole," he said.

The family called police who retrieved the body from the borehole.

"I expected to find my brother alive but he is no more. We are shocked as a family," Kobe said.

Kenya National National Union of Teachers Homa Bay branch Secretary Patrick Were called on security agencies to launch probe into the head teacher's death.

Were said the borehole in which his body was found had a seal that was lockable and wondered how it ended up there.

"This borehole has a seal that is lockable. It isn't easy for someone to fall into the borehole accidentally. We urge our security agencies to investigate what caused Mr Kobe's death," he said.

He described Otieno's demise as a setback to the teaching fraternity in the area.

"Apart from being a teacher, he was also an accomplished accountant. He is the one who used to help many head teachers in balancing books of accounts," Were said.

Rachuonyo South Sub-county Police Commander Lilies Wachira said police have launched investigations into the teacher's death.

"It is a sad day that the teacher has been found dead after the family reported that he was missing. The matter is under investigations," Wachira said.

The body was removed to Rachuonyo South Sub-county hospital mortuary for postmortem.