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Concern over kidnapping, killing of taxi drivers in Kisii

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Published on Tuesday, 07 February 2012 11:31

PRISCILAH Kemunto has been having sleepless nights since her 27-year-old son disappeared three years ago. Anthony Nyaega, a taxi driver, was hired by people who posed as customers from Kisii town. That was the last time he was seen. A visibly traumatised Kemunto narrates what she has gone through in search of her son. “I want to see my son dead or alive. I’m however hopeful that he is alive somewhere,” said the granny during an interview at her home in Nyanguru, Kisii district. “My son was a taxi driver in Kisii and he used to operate from home. He woke up one day in August 2009 and left for work. Since then I have never seen him.”

Kemunto said life has been difficult since her son went missing. “He was my last born son and was providing everything for me. Since he left I have not been eating properly,” the elderly woman said as tears rolled down her cheeks. Nyaega is among five taxi drivers who have gone missing in the recent past, raising concern about the safety of taxi operators in Kisii town.

The latest incident occurred a month ago. The decapitated and decomposing body of Elijah Onchiri Omosa was discovered in a thicket in Migori county two weeks after his taxi was hired by unknown people from Kisii town on January 6. Others who have disappeared are Robert Gikenye and Erick Osoro Kamanda. Unknown people hired their taxis and they have never been seen since. Their vehicles have also not been found.

Another taxi driver, Paul Monda Motumwa, was hired from Kisii town and his decomposing body found dumped at Nyakwana along River Kuja several months after he disappeared. Cases of taxi drivers going missing in the area have been on the rise. The taxi operators are now pointing an accusing finger at law enforcers for "laxity".

Kemunto said her frantic efforts in search of her son have been fruitless. The search has even taken her to neighbouring Uganda. “My family has been having sleepless nights for the last three years since he went missing. It has remained a puzzle to all of us.” The mother of 10 said she doesn't know where to look for her son whom she described as humble, polite and hardworking.

Nyaega’s elder brother James Bosire says they extended the search to Uganda in vain. “I went to Uganda three times but I did not manage to trace my brother. We have used a lot of resources in the three years hoping to trace him but to no avail. We have left it to the almighty because we have visited several hospitals, police stations and morgues without success,” Bosire said.

He says they reported the matter to the police but nothing has happened in terms of investigations despite all the assurances from them. “We don’t know where to seek assistance from because the police have never communicated to us on how far they have gone with investigations. We visited Kisii police station several times and we are now tired,” he added. “The police have taken long that is why I am worried whether the investigations are going on at all,” Kemunto said.

Area police boss Tom Mutisya said investigations are going on not only in Anyiega's case but also his colleagues who have gone missing in similar circumstances. During the burial of Omosa at Marani, taxi drivers condemned the police for their laxity, saying that they don’t act immediately when they are informed of such incidents.

Omosa had set off from his Marani home on January 6 to his work place in the town, when his vehicle was hired by unknown people. Efforts by his family and colleagues to reach him on phone bore no fruit and on January 17, his badly mutilated and decomposed body was discovered in a thicket.

It was reported that unknown person called the deceased at around noon and told him that there were clients who wanted to be taken to Migori county. He responded and started the journey via Gucha district but never to return to his work place again. Omosa, who was described by his relatives and colleagues as a humble and faithful person, had been a taxi driver in the area for over two years.

The deceased’s mother-in-law Mary Mochomba wondered why the thugs killed his son-in-law who was the sole bread winner of his family. “God will harshly judge those who were involved in the heinous murder of my son-in-law. They killed him but they too will never live long,” Mochomba said during the funeral.

Omosa’s elder brother Reuben Omwenga said that he was astonished when they discovered the decomposing body of his brother, claiming that the thugs possibly gorged his eyes out because he knew them. “I suspect that the thugs gorged my brother’s eyes and chopped off his private parts because he knew them. We want the police to hunt for his killers. They should have taken the vehicle and leave him alive,” Omwenga said. “It was impossible for anybody to identify the body because it was just a skeleton but we used some marks to identify him.”

Omwenga added: “I request the government to intervene and help us unearth the truth about the killing. Two people were arrested but we don’t know how far the police have gone with their investigations.” Chairman Zonic Taxi Drivers Association Joel Mabuka and secretary Geoffrey Monene said that Omosa was the fifth driver to go missing from the area. “Omosa is the fifth driver to go missing but four of them have not been traced to date. We are calling on the government to guarantee us our security,” Mabuka said.

Monene said that the deceased was a kind, humble and supportive person, saying that his death was a great loss both to his family and colleagues. Anyiega was never married but Omosa was and had a child. Panic-stricken taxi operators have now become vigilant. “Wherever I’m hired by people I don’t know, I take them to the police to have their details recorded before I take them,” said Job Makori who has been a taxi operator for five years. Makori says the thugs target drivers who have not been in business for long and those who drive new cars especially Toyota models.