Family cries foul over lost kin’s probe

By Peter Atsiaya

The family of a Standard Group staff who went missing after an accident in Mumias last week is crying foul over police conduct in the investigation.

The family of Julius Onyango Juma, a graphics designer at Kisumu Bureau, has alleged police cover-up in the incident and have called on Commissioner of Police Mathew Iteere to intervene.

Car collided

Mr Juma, whose car collided head-on with a sugarcane tractor at River Nzoia Bridge between Mumias and Mayoni towns last Sunday, has since gone missing and efforts to trace him have been fruitless.

His family has questioned why police officers from Mumias Police Station who rushed to the scene later released the driver of the tractor without recording a statement following the accident.

“We believe the driver has information about Juma’s whereabouts because he was the last person to talk to him after the accident,” said Juma’s younger brother, Fidel.

Disappeared

The driver is said to have disappeared after the family insisted that the police arrest him to assist with investigation into the matter.

“He cannot be found at his house and on phone and police have ignored our efforts to have him arrested to assist in investigation,” said Fidel.

Western deputy Provincial Police Officer Godfrey Mbaabu said he was investigating claims that the tractor driver has gone underground since the accident occurred.

“I am not aware of his disappearance but I’m contacting the area OCPD to confirm that,” Mr Mbaabu told The Standard on Sunday.

Mumias OCPD George Seda denied cover-up in the incident, adding that police have stepped up investigation and the search for Juma.

“The tractor’s driver has recorded a statement with police and has not gone underground as claimed. People should stop speculating,” he told The Standard.

Juma’s wife Lesley said: “We are disturbed as a family especially his children who want to know where their father is.”

She said on Tuesday at around 5.40am her firstborn daughter Leona Rose woke up and told her that she had dreamt about her father.