On March 23, 2016, Harnold Ubbaga left for school as usual, but never returned home in the evening.
His family has been having sleepless nights ever since, searching for him without success.
The 16-year-old Standard Eight pupil at Kakamega Primary School left at 6:15am but never to return home.
At home in Milimani Estate in Kakamega town, his family is in agony as they have no clue about the whereabouts of their son.
His guardian, Christine Lubembe, says Ubbaga bade her goodbye as usual and set off for school on the material day, but she did not know he would not return home.
“He left as usual for school but never reached school nor came back home after school,” says Lubembe.
Some of Ubbaga’s friends say he did not go to school and the last time they saw him, he was not in school uniform.
She wonders how the boy returned home and changed clothes when they had left for work.
“His friends informed me that they asked him if he was going to school but he said no. He was not in school uniform and never reported to school,” she says.
At around 10am, Lubembe received a call from the school that the boy was not in school yet others were doing examinations.
She immediately left work to check with relatives and at home. When she didn’t find him, she went to the school.
“At around 11am, I went to check if he was in school. Teachers told me he had not reported that day and other pupils were doing their end term examinations. I don’t know what happened to him since his bag and books are still on his desk at school,” she says.
When Lubembe returned from work that evening, she was a worried mother since Ubbaga had not returned home.
Lubembe has checked with relatives, parents of the boy and teachers but no one seems to know of his whereabouts.
She reported the matter and recorded a statement at the Kakamega Police Station on March 23. Police have since commenced a search, which have so far not borne any fruit.
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The parents of the boy divorced and he was left under the care of Lubembe while in Standard Two.
“His father works in Nairobi while the mother got married in another place. I am in a dilemma. What could have happened to him since he is not with the parents?” Lubembe wonders, urging anyone who knows the boy’s whereabouts to contact her as she can’t sleep.
She, however, says they are not losing hope as a family.
“We all miss you and we all love you. If you can read this please let us know where you are, we are all worried, we need you to continue with your studies, be successful and help us in future,” she says.
She continues searching for him through woods and other places: “I had been going to school whenever he had a problem or teachers requested to see me. This time, he did not tell me anything and I only learned of his disappearance through his friends who informed me that he did not report to school,” she says.
At school, friends have been urging him to return and they are ready to help him, no matter what he could be going through.
“I am not giving up on the search. I can’t tell whether he was kidnapped, murdered or is still alive,” she says.