There was no coffin and no body, only grief, memories and a community searching for closure.
At the heart of the sombre gathering in Kabongwa village in Uasin Gishu County stood a photograph and a few belongings of Edward Kipchumba Terer, a medical laboratory technologist who vanished without a trace nearly two months ago in the volatile Kerio Valley.
As family and friends held a mock burial to honour his memory, their pain was deepened by unanswered questions and suspicions of an extrajudicial killing.
Community elders led the ceremony with a cleansing ritual to appease his spirit as family members spoke of the untold pain they have endured since the 47-year-old father of five vanished from his workplace at Samabalat Clinic in Marakwet East Sub-county.
Mr Terer was reportedly abducted by individuals believed to be security officers on June 2 and has not been seen since.
Missing: Edward Kipchumba Terer, a 47-year-old medical laboratory technologist.
Photo credit: Pool
Some mourners wept as they recalled his final moments and the fading hope of ever recovering even his remains.
“It is painful to bury someone whose body you have never found but if we don’t give him a send-off, his soul will not rest in peace. He will continue to haunt us,” said Augustin Limo, Mr Terer’s younger brother.
Unlike a typical funeral, there was no formal program. Some mourners left quietly in grief after the brief event, which lasted less than an hour, while others stayed behind to comfort the family.
“We strongly suspect our brother was executed in an extrajudicial killing. We have searched everywhere and have been told that his body will never be found,” added Mr Limo.
“We reported the matter at Tot Police Station and the officer in charge promised to update us but nothing has come of it. All we can now do is give him an imaginary send-off,” said Mr Limo.
According to the family, the abductors left behind Mr Terer’s phone, making it difficult to track him.
However, Elgeyo Marakwet County Police Commander Peter Mulinge denied any knowledge of the case.
“We have not received any official report about the missing laboratory technologist apart from what we have seen on social media,” Mr Mulinge told Daily Nation .
Missing: Edward Kipchumba Terer, a 47-year-old medical laboratory technologist.
Photo credit: Pool
Cases of mysterious disappearances and suspected extrajudicial killings in Kerio Valley have raised alarm, with even the murder of a Catholic priest still unresolved.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) has since launched preliminary inquiries into Mr Terer’s disappearance.
“Ipoa received a complaint over the alleged abduction of the medic on June 10. As part of the complaints intake process, the authority is conducting preliminary inquiries to determine whether police were involved,” said the authority’s Communications Officer, Dennis Oketch.
Tensions in Kerio Valley deepened last month when two bodies found dumped by the roadside in Nakuru were identified as residents of Tot in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Humanitarian agencies have only recently resumed operations in the region after calm returned, following a multi-agency security crackdown against criminal elements behind the long-standing armed conflict.
The Missionary Benedictine Sisters of the Catholic Church are the latest humanitarian group to resume services, having suspended operations for a month due to staff safety concerns.
“We are resuming activities in Kerio Valley after a month-long suspension triggered by attacks targeting our personnel,” said Eldoret Diocese Catholic Bishop Dominic Kimengich.
He also announced plans by the Church to hold a major peace meeting next Sunday to promote unity and revive stalled operations.
Bishop Kimengich urged the government to fast-track investigations into the killing of Fr Alloise Cheruiyot Bett of St Mathias Mulumba, Tot Parish, who was gunned down two months ago.
“It is unfortunate that the government has taken this long to arrest the killers who are well known in the community,” he said.
The church’s decision to suspend services was in response to Fr Bett’s killing and escalating threats against non-locals, which forced public servants, including teachers, to flee the area.
“Our decision aimed to protect our sisters, employees, and those who rely on our services—and to push the government toward a lasting peace solution, including the disarmament of civilians,” read a statement from Sr Rosa Pascal.
She added that the insecurity had taken a toll on the missionaries’ mental, emotional and psychological well-being, made worse by staff shortages.
“We also hoped our action would remind the people of Kerio Valley of the importance of our presence. If the community doesn’t view our mission as vital, then perhaps there’s no need for us to be here,” she said.
