Police's lethargy in tracing lost biker

By NICHOLAS ANYUOR

When the motorbike taxi operator received a call from a client who wanted transport, he just thought of the money he would make from the trip and left.

Isaiah Odhiambo Owiti, 25, left his family at 1pm and told his wife he was going to take the client to Sondu in Kisumu, a short distance from their home.

However, that was the last that his family saw of him. Almost eight months later, his family is still searching for him even though they can’t tell who called him asking for transport.
His brother, William Otieno Owiti, says Odhiambo received a call from a customer on December 23, last year at 1 pm.

"He immediately left his wife, Esther Akoth and his two children at home and went," he says. His wife became worried when at 9pm he hadn’t returned home. She could also not reach him on his phone as it was switched off.

None of his friends or colleagues in Sondu appeared to know where he was.
"He used to come back home early. We became even more worried when we realised his phone was off," recalls Esther.

The following morning, Otieno reported the matter at Sondu Police Station.
In January, he reported the same matter at Kericho Police Station.
"I thought the police would work with Safaricom to track down the person who called Odhiambo, but this has not happened," he laments.

Otieno says efforts by the police to track down the caller have turned fruitless since he is told the printout came blank. William claims that even though he told the police to send request to Safaricom to check the calls made on December 23, what came out was a blank printout of calls made on December 24.

Weird request

"It was on December 23, when Odhiambo received the call. Why should the police request for the printout of December 24, yet he was already off air? he wonders.

Otieno says when he asked the police to rectify the anomaly, they repeated the same mistake. "There is something going on here. My efforts have been thwarted by the police and I don’t know who can help me," he says.

Otieno says two months ago, a stranger went to Odhiambo’s village in Kasipul Kabondo and asked a young boy to secretly find him a photo and any clothes belonging to Odhiambo.
"He even asked the boy about our wealth, the number of animals we have and the acreage of the family land," he says.

The boy was to hand over the items to a local boda boda operator, who was to deliver it to the man.
"I reported the matter immediately to the area DO who assigned us police officers to make arrests when the boy was to hand the items," William says.

However, this never happened since the boda boda operator didn’t show up even after two attempts by the Administration Police officers to trap him.

The Kabondo Division District Officer Ms Gladys Nyongesa admits she received the report and sent her officers to make arrest, though they didn’t succeed. She again ordered the officers to look for the boda boda operator and arrest him, but he volunteered himself to the DO. "He came to us and accepted he was sent for those items. I wondered how he could look for the items of someone who got lost last year. What was he going to do with the clothes? I handed the matter to the police," she says.

William says he had taken the letter to the Kericho Police station and to the Othoro Police Post.

"I believed the information we have given the police is enough to track down those responsible. Police should now act," Esther says of her missing husband.
The Kericho District Criminal Investigations Officer Mr Justus Burudi said: "I am on leave and I cannot comment on the matter. Just call the office you will be helped."

No details

However, his Deputy Mr Calistus Mauko refused to give details about the case.
"My boss is not around and I am not allowed to give detailed information about the matter. He is the only one authorised to give such details. But I can confirm the case is with us and investigations are still underway," he said.

Otieno blames the police for not helping to trace his brother.
He says at times the officers frustrate him when he visits Kericho Police Station to find out the progress.

"Sometimes I am told the file cannot be found because the officer handling the case is on leave. I wonder if the officer goes with the file home," he says.