The family of Meru political activist and blogger Daniel Muthiani aka 'Sniper', who disappeared 14 days ago, will have to wait longer to know his whereabouts.
However, they are in agony following the discovery of a body in Tharaka-Nithi County that they were called to view.
The body was found on Friday in a thicket near Marimanti, more than 60 kilometres from Kabuitu, Muthiani's home village in Igembe Central.
The body was badly decomposed and police said that although the family claimed it was him, tests would have to be carried out to establish its identity.
Whoever it is, the man must have died a painful death, as he was tortured before being brutally murdered. His eyes were gouged out, his tongue cut off, his front teeth knocked out and his face disfigured. His skin had also been peeled off and his fingerprints invisible.
"Some of the clothes the dead man was wearing resembled those of Muthiani, according to the family, but this is not proof that he is the one. DNA samples have been taken from his mother so that we can establish whether he is the one or not," a police source said.
On Friday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki ordered police to speed up investigations into Muthiani's mysterious disappearance on December 2.
The CS instructed the DCI to question and record statements from those who allegedly had last contact with him.
"I have been informed that a young man has disappeared and the incident was reported to the police. There is no way someone can go missing and nothing is done yet I am told there are people who interacted with him but they have not been questioned. They should immediately report to the police and record statements," said Prof Kindiki.
He was speaking in Ndumuru, Igembe North, when he presided over the passing out of 140 National Police Reservist (NPR) officers.
According to his wife, Irene Kawira, Muthiani received a phone call from a man he knew on 2 December.
She said the conversation centred on his stinging posts on social media, with the man offering him an olive branch and saying they should work together.
He agreed to meet at a location he did not disclose to his wife and left immediately. This was the last time he was seen.
Contacted for comment, the county police commander, Mr Cunningham Suiyanka, said the identity of the body found in Marimanti had not been confirmed. "Once we confirm it, we will inform the family," he said.
