Family seeks help to trace rape victim who vanished from hospital
Coast
By
Juliet Omelo
| Dec 12, 2025
The family of Mary Wairimu Maina is appealing for answers as they continue searching for the woman who disappeared in the aftermath of a brutal attack in Shanzu, Mombasa, in 2021.
According to family members, Wairimu was abducted between February and April 2021 in the Shanzu area and taken to a secluded bushy location alongside another woman, 27-year-old Shirilyn Nyako.
Investigators say the two women were tortured, drugged, and sexually assaulted before being left for dead.
A resident who discovered them lying motionless alerted the authorities, prompting the women’s rushed admission to a nearby hospital.
Nyako succumbed to her injuries within 24 hours, while Wairimu survived after slipping into a coma.
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The ordeal did not end there. The family says that after Wairimu was discharged, she left the hospital accompanied by a woman identified as Elizabeth Nyaboke Gachuhi. That was the last confirmed sighting of both women.
“Elizabeth was the last person seen with her. Since then, we don’t know where either of them went or what happened. We are only seeking the truth and hoping someone out there has information,” Brian Maina, Wairimu’s brother told The Standard by phone.
Authorities confirmed that one of the suspected attackers, a boda boda rider at the time, is in custody.
A senior DCI officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “The investigation has been slow due to missing witnesses and fading leads, but we remain committed to uncovering the full truth. We are treating this case as a priority and pursuing all possible avenues to locate Mary Wairimu.”
Another senior police officer added, “While one suspect is in custody, we are still determining if others were involved. We urge anyone with information to come forward or report to the nearest police station. Even small details can help solve this case.”
The family hopes renewed public attention will spur progress.
“As a family we are more than willing to release a recent photograph of Wairimu to aid in locating her and we are fully cooperating with investigators,” said Maina.
They are calling on anyone who may have witnessed the abduction, interacted with Wairimu or Elizabeth, or noticed anything unusual in Shanzu in early 2021 to come forward.
“With stigma, fear, and silence casting long shadows over this case, our hope now lies in the public. We just want to know where our daughter is whether she is safe, or what really happened to her,” the family said.
Four years after the attack, justice remains elusive, but the family insists they will not rest until Wairimu’s whereabouts are known and those responsible are held accountable.