It has been a harrowing and heartbreaking three weeks for the family of Joseph Mwangi, a Grade Seven pupil at Keriko Primary School, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
What began as a hopeful search for a missing child turned into a grim ordeal nine days later, as disturbing discoveries suggested the worst may have happened to the 14-year-old.
The community's worst fears began to materialise on July 27, around 12pm when a casual labourer working on a nearby farm raised the alarm after spotting some clothes in a maize plantation.
The farm owner quickly collected the clothes and rushed to Mwangi’s home to confirm whether they belonged to the missing boy.
To the family’s shock, Mwangi’s mother, Peris Wangui, recognised them immediately as they were the same clothes Mwangi had been wearing the day he visited her. However, his shoes were missing.
Emotionally overwhelmed Peris Wangui, mother of 14-year-old Joseph Mwangi narrates at their home in Lare, Njoro Sub-county, in Nakuru County how her son went missing on Friday as he headed to school.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi| Nation Media Group
The area chief was informed and neighbours mobilised to search the maize plantation. During the search, they discovered Mwangi’s torn undergarment. Just a few meters away, they stumbled upon what appeared to be a strip of human intestines, partially buried and decomposing.
In an emotional interview, Ms Wangui said that for the past two weeks, she has been combing through the plantation, determined to find her son's remains.
“I still believe that we will find all of him. Even if he is gone, I just want to lay my son to rest with dignity. No parent should ever go through this. It has been weeks of holding on to hope. Neighbours have been really helpful,” she said.
Recalling their last moments together, Ms Wangui said Mwangi had visited her at her workplace on July 17 and they had lunch together. Around 4 pm, he left for his grandmother’s house which is located a few kilometers away. She even escorted him part of the way.
A caregiver by profession, Ms Wangui said Mwangi had asked for school items, which she promised to buy before the end of the month.
At around 7 pm she called his grandmother to confirm he had arrived safely—only to be told he had not been seen. Initially, she did not panic. But when he still had not arrived by 9 pm, concern set in.
“I called for the third time at 11 pm but he was still not at home. I could not sleep but since it was already late, I had to wait until morning. We reported the matter to the chief’s office, who referred us to Naishi Police Station. We were told to continue searching. We visited his school and combed the neighbourhood, but he was nowhere to be found,” she recalled.
That was the beginning of Ms Wangui’s nightmare. The search extended from the neighbourhood to Njoro and even Nakuru City, but Mwangi remained missing.
Ms Wangui has been working as a caregiver after moving back to her parents’ home. Mwangi and his siblings lived there with their grandmother, while she worked nearby and visited when off duty.
“He was a loving and humble child who adored his siblings. He knew our situation. He often told me he would work hard to become an engineer, buy land and build a house for us. It is heartbreaking that he is no more—and worse, we can’t find his body. I won’t be at peace until I find my second-born’s remains,” she said, overcome with emotion.
The search is still ongoing, and Ms Wangui is now calling on the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to intervene.
“Even though we have not found his body, we strongly believe he was mauled by a hyena that has been roaming around here, killing our livestock. Now, it has attacked a human being—and tragically, it was my son,” she said.
In an earlier interview, neighbour Rachel Wariera echoed the concerns saying hyenas have wreaked havoc in the area, killing sheep and goats.
According to Ms Wariera, hyenas have now become so brazen that they attack people in broad daylight. She recalled one incident where a young boy was chased by a hyena on his way to a shop—only to be saved by a passerby.
“We are living in fear. We cannnot send our children out or even go to shops at night. Kenya Wildlife Service has done nothing. If this were a wild animal that had been killed, they had already be here with helicopters and tents. We are tired of empty promises. Today we skipped church just to continue the search for more remains,” she added.
Sinendet Location Chief Lewis Kiaraho confirmed this was the first recorded incident of a hyena attacking a human in the area, leaving residents in shock and fear.
He said over 100 livestock had been killed by hyenas in the past four years, and although KWS has promised compensation, no tangible help has come. He acknowledged the issue is long-standing and said discussions are ongoing to work with KWS to contain the threat.
Over the weekend, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki ordered KWS to take immediate action to address the escalating hyena menace in Njoro Sub-County. Speaking at an empowerment event, the Deputy President expressed the government's commitment to ending the threat.
