Mystery hangs over missing Embu Speaker

By Cyrus Ombati and Joseph Muchiri

Kenya: Mystery surrounds the Monday evening disappearance of Embu County Assembly Speaker Justus Mate from a Nairobi hotel.

A section of Members of the Embu County Assembly now want the police to investigate how Mr Mate went missing from a city hotel where they were meeting.

Embu Deputy Speaker Ibrahim Swaleh Tuesday confirmed that Mate went missing on Monday and they are yet to trace him.

Mr Swaleh said before his disappearance, the Speaker had allegedly received a phone call at around 4:30pm from an officer attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Pangani and identified as Nicholas Kangangi, whom he was scheduled to meet later.

He said they became alarmed when Mate failed to report for dinner at around 8.30pm, prompting them to report the matter at Muthaiga Police Station.

“We were referred to the Pangani DCIO whose personal assistant, Elias Kathiga, Mate’s driver and County Assembly Majority Leader Andrew Musakwa recorded a statement. Mate was an integral part of the meeting, as he was leading the committees and would have finalised the sittings tomorrow,” said Swaleh.

Parked car

Mate is said to have left his mobile phone on the table before walking out. Mr Kathiga said guards at the hotel said the Speaker was seen leaving in a vehicle that was parked outside the gate, but it is unclear why he entered it.

Kathiga was further quoted as saying the Speaker asked where a vehicle, registration plate KBK, was parked and on learning it had not been seen, he started walking towards the gate, where he supposedly boarded the waiting car.

The MCAs were meeting to discuss the county budget. Swaleh asked the MCAs and the public not to speculate over the matter and asked the police to hasten the search for the missing Speaker.

He said the speaker had been asking for police security, as he feared for his life.

“Our Speaker has been writing to the Embu county commandant asking for bodyguards but has never received a response,” said Swaleh.

Nairobi police boss Benson Kibue said CID had taken up the matter and launched a search for the Speaker.