Eleven-year-old Faith Masakhwe left home on May 14, 2016 at 6.00am for school and has not been seen or heard from since.
Her distraught father, Hannington Kaleha, said Faith has never gone missing before or stayed away from home without them knowing where she is.
“As a family we are very worried. Without her, there is no peace since we are not sure if she is safe, kidnapped or killed. We are baffled and hope she is not in trouble.
For now, we have left the matter with the police to tackle as we continue praying to God for a miracle,” Kaleha said.
Speaking at his home in Shilarumwa Village, Kakamega County, Kaleha said his attempts to search for his child continue to bear no fruits even though he is optimistic his child is alive.
Kaleha said the family has since learned that the class seven pupil at Lubinu Primary School did not report to school on the day she went missing.
“That Friday morning, she left for school through the back door and we all expected her home in the evening as usual. However, when it got to 8pm and she was nowhere to be found, we got concerned.”
“We contacted the school administration, asked her classmates and relatives and no one knew of her whereabouts,” he said.
The family then begun searching for her. They went to hospitals and police stations but she is still nowhere to be found.
After days passed by without any information on their daughter’s whereabouts, the family on May 19, 2016, reported the matter to the village elder and the area chief who then filed a missing person report at Shianda Police Station in Kakamega county.
Kaleha said a few days letter he got a letter that Faith had written, through friends, saying she wanted to be transferred to a new school.
“I learned about this when she went missing. Her mother had hinted to me that she was complaining of being caned so much at the school and was requesting for be transferred like her friends whose parents had taken them to other schools,” he said.
Kaleha described his daughter as a hardworking, sociable child who likes participating in drama, games and is ever smiling.
“Wherever Faith is, let her know we love her and need her back home. If she has any problems she should let us know because as her parents, we are ready to help her and advice where necessary.”
“We want her to continue with her education and if it is caning she is afraid of, we will transfer her to another school to enable her achieve her career dreams,” he said.
Her uncle, Benson Kitechi, says since he received news that his niece was missing, he has been helping the family trace her through various avenues but none has yielded substantial information.
“It is very strange for a young talented and lively girl to disappear like that. With the current situation where there is increased insecurity, one cannot take such news lightly,” he said.
Kaleha says nothing will be the same for them as a family until Faith is back home with them. Her absence is now a constant source of pain and has brought on worry that is crippling their lives.
“We just want her back in our arms. We love her and if anyone is holding her, release her back to us and put an end to the torture we are going through, he said.
Anyone with information on Faith’s whereabouts should report to the nearest police station or write to us: wednesdaylife@standardmedia.co.ke, with the details. We will contact the family.
