Where is Brian Odhiambo? Family desperate for answers in fisherman's mysterious case

CS Murkomen with Mama Elizabeth Auma Ogega, the mother of Brian Odhiambo who disappeared in Lake Nakuru National Park two months ago. (Photo/Standard) Alvy Okello stares at her mobile phone every moment it rings or vibrates and picks it up immediately. After scrolling for a few minutes, she places down with disappointment. Twelve days have passed since March 19, when Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen promised that the government would help find Ms Okello's missing husband, Brian Odhiambo. The mobile phone trend has been the same for Okello since January 18, when Odhiambo, a fisherman, disappeared mysteriously. He allegedly disappeared in the hands of six Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers. Okello said the search for her husband, whether dead or alive, has hit a dead end. "We have looked for him everywhere, for the last two and a half months. We have now accepted that he has died, his body is either hidden or it has disappeared," said Okello. Murkomen had also vowed that KWS would be held responsible for Odhiambo's disappearance, but the police, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) have remained silent. Murkomen was forced to speak on the matter after Odhiambo's mother, Elizabeth Auma, interrupted his speech in Nakuru. "As a government, we will not allow a situation where a Kenyan goes missing without being accounted for. We are here to ensure lives are protected," said Murkomen. However, since then, Okello said they have not heard anything positive from anyone. "I have been near my mobile phone but the only calls I have received are from the media, neighbours and friends who have been asking me for updates," said Okello. Okello recalled how on March 17, the family, detectives, and human rights groups were granted access to search for Odhiambo inside Lake Nakuru National Park, where he allegedly disappeared. A whistle-blower had informed the family that one of the KWS rangers had allegedly shown him Odhiambo's body inside one of the shallowly dug graves within the park on March 12. However, the family's attempt to access the park on March 13 was blocked by KWS officers, and they were only allowed to access it five days later, under supervision. Inside the park, the informer who had hidden his face led the group to 10 alleged graves, including one where he claimed Odhiambo had been buried inside, but no body was found. "We did not find any body, and we are closing the search for the day. We have taken soil samples for forensic analysis," Nakuru East DCIO Samuel Ngeiywa said. Auma, who was with the search party, expressed dissatisfaction and two days later, she confronted Murkomen over the same, seeking justice for her son. "I believe they moved the bodies. But what is hidden will be revealed. If they took my son's body from here and buried it elsewhere, we will find him," she vowed. Okello believed that the police were not doing enough to find Odhiambo. She pointed out that even a court in Nakuru agreed with the family in an inquest case filed. In his ruling on March 13, Principal Magistrate Vincent Adet ordered the DCI and KWS to expand their investigations and forward the file to the ODPP for further action, within 30 days, which lapses on April 13. Auma still maintained that Odhiambo was among 11 individuals arrested by KWS officers. The family has faced anguish, pain, and misery, and the same was heightened on March 13, when they were briefly arrested by the police during a protest. Okello said that the police arrested her, Aum, and Odhiambo's brothers, Carlos Otieno and John Omenge, near the park. "They accused us of leading the protests against the KWS officers. They said it was a crime punishable by detention or a fine," said Ms Okello, after she was released.

Where is Brian Odhiambo? Family desperate for answers in fisherman's mysterious case

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