On December 21, Ms Lilian Nyambura Mbugua, a brand manager with East Africa Breweries Limited, left the capital Nairobi to join her family in Maragua, Murang'a County, for Christmas.
Two days later, Nyambura, 28, walked out of her home in Gikono, never to be seen or heard from again.
She was last seen at home on December 23, where she disappeared after making a few phone calls, dressed in a red dress, sky blue jumper and black and white headscarf.
"The report that we have is that she had reunited with her family members in the village on December 21, 2024 ahead of Christmas celebrations but two days later she disappeared," said Murang'a South Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) John Kanda.
According to Ms Mbugua's family spokesman George Njuguna, a missing person's report was first lodged at Gikono Police Patrol Base on December 23, 2024 before another was lodged at Murang'a South DCI offices on December 28, 2024.
"She walked out of her parents’ gated community compound leaving behind her car, two laptops, two phones and other personal effects. She was dressed casually, wearing only a red dress, sky blue sweater, black and white headscarf and in slippers," Mr Njuguna told Nation.Africa .
Mr Njuguna said family members thought she was taking an evening stroll when she sauntered out of the gates at around 5pm, but this has now turned out to be the family's nightmare.
Mr Njuguna described her as "silent type, brilliant, dogooder and religious".
According to the DCI investigation notes, Ms Nyambura arrived home on December 21 and on December 22, she attended church.
"On December 23, a reportedly happy Nyambura, who showed no hint of distress, woke up and even had a family breakfast and lunch," the report reads in part.
The missing persons report indicates that she left alone, walking and did not say where she was going.
Mr Kanda said, "The family has told us that they thought Ms Nyambura was going for an evening walk, a tradition she had picked up whenever she was home".
Investigators said they were having difficulty tracing her as she had left her mobile phones behind. Mr Kanda urged patience, adding that information on her disappearance has been circulated nationwide.
Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu on Sunday said Nyambura's disappearance should be taken seriously in the light of the national tragedy of people being seen alive and later mysteriously disappearing after being lured or followed.
"This is not an issue that should be taken lightly. She is of the age of her youth, the bracket that is being targeted by abductors that the government has so far said it does know them," he said.
Mr Kanda said the matter was being investigated and the issue being pursued was that of a missing person.
"We cannot say she was abducted. The last moments of her being seen indicates she left her parents’ home compound on her own and walking," he said.
Before her disappearance, Nyambura had only worked for four months as brand manager for EABL's Chrome.
A look at her LinkedIn account defines a woman who was passionate about her work, with a global outlook, where she states in a long post that "my home Africa is rising and I want to be counted for my positive contribution in shaping the destiny and success of the cradle of mankind and my home".
"My purpose is clear: to be a change agent, embrace my God given talent, work hard to cultivate and be the best at what I do while personifying my core values. I am passionate about change, open to learning and applying both new and disruptive knowledge and skills that will stretch and shape me into a valuable team player," she posted.
She added that she has the desire to make a positive contribution by transforming the socio-economic landscape.
"I build trust with African communities and share our success globally. Let’s solve Africa’s challenges together. I seek an organisation that values capability, drive, collaboration and global exposure. Let’s build an Africa legacy—one problem solved at a time," she added.
As for her goals as a brand manager, she says her desire is to grow sales by identifying market trends, launching new products and optimising distribution channels.
"Regarding Chrome liquor drink tasks, I have successfully developed and executed brand strategies, ensuring consistent messaging and market positioning. I am driven by the desire to achieve excellence. I am motivated by a strong desire to learn more, achieve the most that I can with my abilities and at the same time develop new skills and knowledge as a result," she said.
Three weeks ago, she took part in the Tujengane Campaign, which aimed to boost sales of the hard drinks produced under the Diageo umbrella of East Africa Breweries.
"I am incredibly proud to have had the opportunity to be part of the Tujengane Campaign. As a marketer for Diageo, I feel immense pride in being part of a company that encourages bold, innovative campaigns that truly resonate with the consumers and push boundaries," she said.
This campaign appears to have been her last assignment before she went home for the Christmas break.
Her field report indicated that she had successfully executed the Chrome market drive through a progressive media campaign, noting that she had been awarded the best performing progressive media campaign by Mdundo.com.
Ms Nyambura previously spearheaded the relaunch of Gilbey's Mixed Berry brand and won the Best Market Launch at the prestigious Diageo Innies Awards 2023 for the launch of Smirnoff Ice Pineapple Punch.
The Innies Awards are one of Diageo's two most prestigious awards, recognising the best execution of brand strategy.
In 2022, she received the Commercial Director's Award 2022 for exemplary performance.
Ms Mbugua is a Multimedia University of Kenya graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance option), where she was recognised as one of the Top 10 Best Student Leaders in Kenya (2019) by the Africa Youth Leadership Forum.
As her disappearance enters its second week, Mr Kanda urged patience, saying she does not have any gadget that could help track her.
"If she had carried along her mobile phones or [gone with her] car, it would have greatly helped us map her location. But that is not the case; we are relying on either her coming forward from her disappearance or a witness tip leading us to where she might be," Mr Kanda said.
