DNA results confirmed that the remains found on a tree in Nyambene Forest on April 30, 2026, were those of Fredrick Gitiye, a teacher who went missing on December 23, 2025.
Since December 2025, the family of Fredrick Gitiye from Igembe South, Meru County, has been agonising over his whereabouts until decomposed human remains were found in Nyambene Forest.
On Friday, DNA results confirmed that the skeleton found on April 30, belonged to Mr Gitiye, a teacher at Kindani Secondary School.
A Kenya Forest Service ranger stumbled upon a human skeleton, with a rope on the neck, dangling on a tree deep in the forested Nyambene ranges.
Gitiye went missing on December 23 and was last seen at Maua town, plunging the family into distress and an endless search.
Fredrick Gitiye, a teacher who went missing on December 23, 2025. His remains were found in Nyambene Forest on April 30, 2026.
Addressing journalists in Maua town on Friday, Igembe South Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Officer Sammy Nthiwa said a DNA test performed early this month had turned out 99.9 percent positive.
“When the remains were collected, we took samples of the mother of the missing man. The family had positively identified the remains but that was not proof enough. It has now been established that Tabitha Kabilu is the biological mother of the deceased as claimed,” Mr Nthiwa said.
The DCIO said the remains were found dangling from a tree, with a rope on the neck, pointing to a case of suicide.
“The remains were wholly decomposed and the lower limbs from the waist were missing,” he said.
Burial arrangements
Mr Nthiwa said the family could now proceed with burial arrangements as investigations into the death continue.
Earlier, Mr Nthiwa said investigators were seeking phone location and call data from mobile service providers to establish Gitiye’s last movements and those he spoke to on the fateful day.
The deceased's mother Tabitha Kabilu said despite reporting the disappearance of Gitiye in December, there were no leads for four months.
“We have been searching for Gitiye for five months until early May when we received a call from people who knew that we had been looking for a missing relative. We were informed that human remains had been retrieved from the forest.
"We identified the remains from the dental diastema and the sweater that was found on the skeleton,” Ruth Muthenya, a relative said.
Fridah Njoki, the widow, said she was certain about the remains after identifying the navy-blue jacket her husband was wearing on the day he disappeared.
“However, the blue shoes and other clothes he was wearing were never found. It is shocking that the lower limbs are also missing,” Ms Njoki said.
The family is now appealing for thorough investigations to establish the circumstances under which the teacher died.
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