“It has been 3 months, where are you?” Malava Wife asks

A portrait of Charles Malovi Kere who disappeared from their Tumbeni village home in Malava Kakamega County last July and since then he has not returned home.

Susan Kere last saw her husband three months ago and she has not known peace since then.

The 57-year-old mother of eight finds it hard to comprehend why her husband Charles Kere, 61, decided to leave without notifying them.

According to Susan, the day her husband disappeared, July 19, 2016, he was unwell and she had taken him to Malava sub-county hospital for treatment.

She said doctors run a variety of tests — malaria, typhoid and blood pressure — but these were all negative and he was advised to go back home. “He still looked very weak but I followed the doctor’s advise and took him home. I prepared supper which he took and went to rest. At around 9 pm, he woke up and said he was going for a short call but did not return to bed,” Susan said.

His family searched for him in the toilet and in the neighborhood but did not find him.

After 24 hours, they reported the area chief of Kere’s disappearance and recorded a statement at Malava Police Station.

Mrs Sussan Kere.

Making announcements in churches and the continued search in hospitals, mortuaries and other places have not yielded any fruit.

“I do not understand how my husband just disappeared. He left to do something he has done so many times before but that has now turned into a nightmare for us. Our efforts to find him have borne no fruit and I do not know whether he is dead or alive,” she said amid sobs.

Susan still believes that her husband of 34 years is still alive and will be back home soon to help her take care of the family.

She describes him as hardworking, easy going, obedient and a polite person who thinks twice before answering back questions.

The search for her husband has taken an emotional toll on her. The anxiety of looking for a lost one, she says, is a personal pain that no one can understand.

“I have three children who are still in high school and school fees needs to be paid. He was the bread winner of the family. If anyone has a clue on my husband’s whereabouts please inform me or file a report at the nearby police station. His disappearance is psychologically affecting us,” she said.

Kere worked as a storeman at Malava sub-county hospital before retiring in 2005.

According to the couple’s daughter Phyllis Kere, her father looked depressed before he went missing.

“He has been having challenges of cash since he retired. As a family we are praying for God to protect him wherever he is. Let him know the family has come a long way and if he has any disturbing issues he should share them. We love him and we need him back home,” Phyllis said.

When Kere disappeared, he was wearing a black trouser, a purple shirt and stripped windbreaker (white and cream in colour).

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should get in touch with us via email: [email protected]