Kenyan-American soldier goes missing in the US
Cynthia Muchugia, Kenyan serving in the United States Army, has been missing since July 28, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Ms Muchugia, 25, went silent and when relatives and close friends were unable to reach her, they raised concern.
- Upon receiving the report, the Stow Police Department issued a statement appealing to the public for assistance.
A Kenyan serving in the United States Army has been missing since July 28, 2025. Ms Cynthia Muchugia’s car was later found abandoned on Middlesex Street in Massachusetts.
Ms Muchugia, 25, went silent and when relatives and close friends were unable to reach her, they raised concern, prompting a swift response from local law enforcement.
Upon receiving the report, the Stow Police Department issued a statement appealing to the public for assistance and shared contact details for tips.
“Family and friends are deeply concerned for her wellbeing. Law enforcement officials are actively investigating the case and are asking anyone who may have seen Cynthia or has information about her whereabouts to come forward immediately,” the statement reads.
The Daily Nation has spoken to a detective leading the investigation, who asked anyone with information regarding Ms Muchugia's whereabouts to contact the authorities.
Irene Gakwa case
Meanwhile, the family of Irene Gakwa, another Kenyan woman who went missing in the US four years ago, is still seeking justice. Ms Gakwa vanished in February 2022 and her whereabouts remain unknown.
The main suspect in her disappearance, Nathan Hightman, 41, was conditionally released from prison in March 2025, a move that devastated her family.
Mr Hightman had been serving a 3-to-6-year sentence after pleading guilty to three felony charges linked to Gakwa’s disappearance.
Mr Hightman was jailed for deleting Ms Gakwa’s email account, draining her bank account, and maxing out her credit card to the tune of Sh774,240 ($6,000). His conviction was for larceny involving amounts above Sh64,520 ($500).
Documents seen by the Daily Nation show that Mr Hightman walked out of the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution on March 28, 2025, despite a projected discharge date of April 1, 2027.
Irene Gakwa, the Kenyan who disappeared mysteriously in the US.
His parole was granted on October 8, 2024 under conditions requiring him to undergo additional rehabilitation programs. The family had opposed his release.
Ms Gakwa’s older brother Kennedy Wainaina expressed disappointment following Hightman’s release, noting that the family was not informed of the parole hearing.
“We had no clue that he was granted parole. We would have definitely attended to present the victim statements,” Mr Wainaina told local media outlet in the US.
Family's painful wait for answers
“It’s very disappointing to see how the system is favouring him, while the victim hasn’t even been found,” he said Mr Wainaina who attended previous court sessions.
Mr Wainaina, who played a crucial role in helping his sister travel to the USA, lives 1,600 miles away from Gillette, Wyoming, where Ms Gakwa went missing.
Ms Irene Gakwa (right) disappeared from Gillette in the state of Wyoming and the family suspects that her boyfriend Nathan Nightman, 38 (left), had something to do with it.
In Wyoming, victims must register with the Wyoming Department of Corrections (WDOC) Victim and Witness Notification Program to be notified of parole hearings.
Since these hearings are closed to the public and the media, and access is restricted to certified victims and legal stakeholders, Mr Wainaina was left in the dark.
Ms Gakwa and Mr Hightman had lived together as a couple in Gillette, where she was last seen. Mr Hightman claimed she left their home in a luxury vehicle.
He claims that was the last time he saw her.
During the investigation, law enforcement, including FBI agents, conducted a 10-hour search of Hightman’s home. Months later, the property was sold to new owners.
According to evidence presented in court, days after Ms Gakwa’s disappearance, Mr Hightman used her credit card to buy boots and a shovel at Walmart.
Police also discovered that Ms Gakwa’s phone had been used to change her bank passwords and send messages to her employer stating she had quit. A message was also sent to her relatives, claiming she had relocated to Texas.
One challenge in the investigation was verifying her official residence. Records indicated that she lived in San Antonio, Texas, from March 2022 to August 2024. However, the property owner at that address said he had never heard of Ms Gakwa.
Despite local community searches across Wyoming, no trace of Ms Gakwa has been found to this date.
In a past interview with the Daily Nation, Ms Gakwa’s father, Francis Kambu, said the family remains in the dark about her daughter’s fate.
“She used to call frequently, but one day she told me her phone had accidentally fallen in water and that she would only be sending messages moving forward,” said Mr Kambu, who lives in Rongai, Kajiado County.
Ms Gakwa left for the US in 2019, full of hope. Today, her family continues the painful wait for answers, while the main suspect in her disappearance walks free.
