Father’s pain as son disappears ahead of visit to a doctor

Mr. Richard Ndunda Musembi holds the Identification card of his lost son Patrick Ndunda Musembi who has been missing since 13th May, 2015. ON 12/11/15 PHOTO :Jenipher WACHIE

When Richard Musembi Ndunda walked into the office on a chilly afternoon recently, the grief on his face was unmistakable. For the last six months,  Ndunda, 46, has been traversing counties in search of his son, Patrick Ndunda Musembi, 25.

On that fateful day of May 13, father left his Laini Saba, Kibera, home early in the morning to embark on his matatu operator job. He left his son Patrick at home.

He would come back later at night only to find Patrick had gone missing. That marked the beginning of what has now become a grueling search.

“I came home from work at 9pm and I was welcomed by an empty house. I knew something was wrong,” says Musembi.

On asking around, neighbours said that Patrick had been at home the whole day, but left at around 4pm. They said he had been spotted at a shopping centre in Laini Saba near a radio shop, but later vanish. Patrick was clad in a checked-blue and white shirt, a blue jacket and red plastic sandals.

According to his father, Patrick was not of sound mind.

Musembi says that two days before Patrick’s disappearance, he had gone to visit his rural home in Mwala, Mbioni in Machakos County and had brought Patrick with him back to Nairobi ahead of a doctor’s visit.

“You could not easily tell that my son was not of sound mind until you spent time with him. He was scheduled to go for a doctor’s appointment,” says a distraught Musembi.

The search has seen Musembi record statements at Kilimani, Kayole, Langata and Upper Hill police stations as well as the Kibera’s District Officer and chief offices.

The past six months has seen the father of four visit mortuaries, hospitals and prisons to no avail. He is appealing to anyone with information about the whereabouts of Patrick Ndunda to contact the nearest police station or inform him through his mobile number 0714157066.

“I’ve been looking for Patrick at Kenyatta Hospital, the Industrial Area Prison and City Mortuary, but he is nowhere to be found. All I need to know is that he is OK,” he says.