By Kenan Miruka

The elderly woman stands on the edge of her compound facing the rising sun as if expecting it to bring good fortune.

The welcoming smile hardly betrays the stresses of life written all over her face.
Mrs Truphena Mokeira Ombese, 51, has lived nearly 30 years without her husband who left their home in Bondonya village, Gucha in search of a job but has never returned.
James George Kerosi Ombese was 35 years old when he left for Nakuru in November 1982. He was accompanied by his cousin.
"The Kisii-Kilgoris road was under construction. My husband left with his cousin Bokea and told me he would return soon. That was never to be," Mokeira recalls.
Prior to his departure, he had worked at Gesima Colonial Court and later at a wholesale shop in Kisii town.

Searching for job

"He was known as Charles but he said the name was too common in the village and, therefore, changed his name to James George Kerosi Ombese," she says.
"He was healthy and of sound mind. He liked his work a lot and was respected across the village," recalls his younger brother John Clement, adding that he was the third born in a family of seven.

His wife says he stayed in Nakuru for a month before leaving for Nyeri. In March 1983, he wrote to his wife saying he had left Nyeri for Nairobi arguing that the pay was meagre.
In April of the same year, he wrote again saying he was in trouble as he earned only Sh90, which hardly sustained his basic needs. He indicated he would he returning home in July.
However, in July he wrote another letter saying he was in Gatundu where he had landed a better job. He told his wife he would go home in August. He later changed return date to October as he allegedly planned to stay until after Christmas.
"That was the last time I heard from him. I waited for him in vain for the whole year. Unfortunately, I had lost the address he used from Gatundu. My uncle who worked at Ministry of Water in Gatundu tried tracing him unsuccessfully," Mokeira says.

Since then, Mokeira has had agonising years having had to raise her children alone. The children have grown up without knowing or feeling the love of their father.

"When he left, our twins had not joined nursery school. If he comes now, they wouldn’t recognise him. I have suffered a lot trying to raise them. The eldest never pursued education to higher levels," she laments. "If my husband was around, I know the situation would be different."

Merciless cons

Their two sons are now married and work in Ruiru. Mokeira is a labourer in nearby farms.
His brother John Clement says: "My father had died before my brother left. My mother died two years ago a troubled woman for not knowing where her first-born son is. She always agonised why it happened to her family. She was always sad."
John describes his brother as a man who liked education a lot. He says he had many books in his house.

"I was relatively young when he left. He was dark in complexion and about 5ft 8’ tall. He probably would have wanted his children to get good education," says John.
Mokeira says her husband had a birthmark and a scar on the forehead.
In their quest to search for Ombese, the family has nearly been conned by people pretending to know his whereabouts.
"In 1995, a man came home and told my mother-in-law that my husband had been seen in Ngong. He wanted Sh5,000 to bring him back. I insisted we accompany him. My sons were then old enough. When he heard this, he declined and left confirming our fears," she notes.

Keeping hope alive
Another conman was to come two years later insisting he knew where my husband was. When the family demanded to be taken there, he refused and demanded money to go for him instead.
"In my mind, I have a feeling he is alive somewhere. I never heard of his death. I hope he is staying someplace and he will come home someday. His sons want to see him. They have always bothered me with questions about their father but I thank God they understand," says Mokeira.
"I have suffered enough as a single woman. Sometimes I encounter situations where I think if my husband was here, he would help. People look down upon me and I have faced a lot of injustice," she adds.
She is now appealing to anyone who may have information about her husband to report at Bassi Central Chief in Sameta Division of Gucha District or Ogembo Police Station.