Is Meshack Yebei dead or alive?

Kenya: Following the latest revelation from the biometric data records at the National Registration Bureau that the finger prints of the body lying at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) was that of Yusuf Hussein, the million-dollar questions is, is Meshack Yebei dead or alive?

According to John Kariuki, the head of Serious Crime Unit a special unit sent from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate the abduction and disappearance of Yebei, the body that was initially thought to be that of Yebei a ‘critical (ICC) witness’ according to the Deputy President William Ruto belonged to Hussein, a resident of Chepsonoi village in Nandi County.

“The results of fingerprinting indicate that the body is that of a man named Yusuf Hussein of Sirwa Posta in Kaimosi, but as you know biometric data is only 60 per cent conclusive. We have taken samples of DNA from the Yebei and Hussein families with an aim of carrying out forensic analysis,” Kariuki said.

In an interview with The Standard on Saturday, Kariuki said the case had some intriguing dimensions and it would take them until mid next week to unravel the riddle of whose body that was.

On Thursday, the family of Hussein insisted that the body belonged to their kin and asked to be allowed to bury his remains.

“We, as a family have identified the body to be that of Yusuf. The body has overstayed and it should be released to us for burial,” said Farhia Hussein, an elder sister of Hussein.

The emotional Farhia said she had travelled from Busia along with other relatives and had expected that they would be allowed to bury remains upon identifying the body on Wednesday.

Abdi Shukri Hussein, an elder brother also urged the government to speed up the DNA investigation.

“We are Muslims and as per our doctrines, the remains should be buried early. The family has identified the body and it is that of Yusuf,” he said. Shukri also said they would demand for thorough investigation to ascertain the circumstances that led to the death of Hussein after the DNA tests have been concluded.

Speaking at the Standard offices in Eldoret, Ben Yebei the elder brother of Yebei said they had been briefed by the investigators about the mismatch in fingerprints, but also informed that they cannot rely solely on that to draw conclusions.

“The CID officers have called for the DNA examination. We as the family do not have a problem with it because at the moment we want to operate in the spirit of trust so we can have closure as a family,” he said.

But even as the representatives of the two families each sought claim to the body, questions are emerging whether Yebei could be alive somewhere.

 

Since Yebei was allegedly abducted three weeks ago on December 28 last year, no one has come forward to claim that they saw him been bundled into a car.

Turbo is a small and a compact centre of about 5000 people. Was it possible for the alleged abductors to bundle the ICC witness into a car without him raising an alarm thereby attracting attention of the people in the small town? Could the alleged abductors be people whom he knew and therefore convinced the father three accompany them to whatever destination?

Or could Meshack have planned to just disappear? Why did he leave his phone behind? On the day he disappeared, had accompanied his wife to take their sick child to hospital in town. He had gone to buy water for the sick child in Turbo Centre before he disappeared into thin air.

According to his family, the ICC witness had reported threats to his life since April 2013. sO who was after his life in the first place? Could he have decided to escape from those who were after his life?

The DP’s lawyer Karim Khan issued a statement immediately after the alleged Yebei’s body had been found in Yala river and he asked for a DNA test. Why? Did he know that the body could not have been that of Yebei?

ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda discredited Yebei claiming he could not be on the final witness list because he was found to have tried to corrupt prosecution witnesses. Could it a be a case of a deal gone sour with other alleged disgruntled witnesses in light of the bribery claims by Bensouda?

SMS puzzle

These are the many questions that beg for answers as the Yebei mystery continues to deepen with fresh angles every day.

Meanwhile, The Standard on Saturday made efforts to call the number that Yebei allegedly used from Uganda to text his mother saying he was safe.The line did not go through.

In the SMS Yebei is alleged to have written; “kimite ak ngomotik cheb bensouda nekile Patrick ak lugusa. Ami komie mosich wasi wasi. Meshack ago namba nenyu ni (I am with ICC officials namely Patrick and Lugusa. I am ok don’t be scared. Meshack and this is my number).

Now who sent this message? If it was Yebei, why did he send it to his mother and friend and not his wife or his brothers? Have the detectives gone through calls received and made by Yebei’s phone to indicate those he communicated with in those last moments?

Equally, calls by the The Standard on Saturday to an ICC Field Office in Kampala to confirm if indeed Patrick and Lugusa mentioned in the text were ICC officials, went unanswered and an email was not replied.

However, human activist Ken wafula said the two individuals —Patrick and Lugusa — were actually working for ICC in Uganda.