Six KWS officers to be charged as trail for missing man goes cold

The family of 31-year-old Brian Odhiambo, who vanished after being taken by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers at Nakuru National Park, is now relying on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for justice.

Nakuru East DCIO Samuel Ngeiywo told The Standard that they have sent Odhiambo’s case file to the DPP for guidance. He revealed plans to charge six KWS rangers with abduction with intent to murder, as they were the last people seen with Odhiambo and have failed to produce him, dead or alive.

“We urge the family and community to remain calm. Once the DPP approves, we’ll pursue the suspects,” Ngeiywo said.

Daisy Achieng, a family friend, called for counselling and support for the family, noting their deteriorating mental health.

“Odhiambo’s mother attempted suicide but was fortunately stopped. It is unfair for KWS to shield the culprits,” she said.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has condemned a Nakuru High Court decision on February 6 that closed a case seeking Odhiambo’s production. Rift Valley LSK chair Aston Muchela accused the Judiciary of treating the matter lightly, claiming Justice Julius Nangea ignored evidence from six witnesses, including Odhiambo’s mother, who saw KWS officers abduct him.

“The judge’s ruling didn’t even mention the eyewitness affidavits,” Muchela said.

Wangari Mwangi, LSK Nakuru chapter chair, said the family had hit a dead end after the court’s failure to act. She vowed that LSK would ensure Odhiambo is found and justice is served, criticising the court for not examining all evidence.

Lawyer Mogendi Abuya, representing Odhiambo’s mother Elizabeth Auma, said the court refused to let them cross-examine the six KWS officers allegedly involved.

“The judge deemed it unnecessary. His four-page ruling ignored this entirely,” Abuya said. He added that they are also investigating three other cases of missing persons at the park and will persist until Odhiambo is located.

Odhiambo, a fisherman, disappeared near Lake Nakuru National Park on  January 18. His mother claims KWS officers abducted him from his home in Flamingo Ward. His wife, Alvy Okello, described him as a simple fisherman who supported her and their two children through casual jobs in Nakuru.

Born on March 20, 1993, Odhiambo attended Kimathi Primary School and Spot Light Mixed Secondary School in Nakuru County. He worked at Oserian flower farm in Naivasha until 2020, then moved to Nairobi for masonry and roofing jobs. After the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted work, he returned to Nakuru, selling onions at Wakulima market before taking up fishing six months ago.

Okello met Odhiambo in 2017, and they have two children, aged six and two. She described him as polite, respectful, and reserved. He was the firstborn of seven, raised by a single mother after their father’s death.

On January 18, 2025, Okello was working at a clinic in Nakuru when Auma called to report the abduction.

“Twenty days have passed since I last saw him. We don’t know if we will ever see him again,” Okello said.

Their children, especially the youngest, cry daily, asking for their father.

“He recently started talking and only asks about his dad. I don’t know what to say,” she added.

Trauma, anger, and fear have left Okello unable to work.

“I pray he returns, no matter his condition. If he is dead, we want his body,” she said.

Auma insists she saw KWS officers assault Odhiambo, throw him into a vehicle near the park’s fence in Manyani, and drive off.

“I pleaded with them, but they ignored me,” she said.

She demands justice and her son’s return, dead or alive, noting the agony of court visits over three weeks.

“I haven’t slept in 20 days. Every sound at the door makes me hope it is him,” she said.

Auma described Odhiambo as hardworking and sociable, the family’s breadwinner.

“He didn’t steal or harm anyone. If he is a suspect, they should have charged him. They must bring him back,” she said, adding, “I cry a widow’s tears. They are parents, don’t they understand my pain?”

The family’s anguish deepened when Justice Nangea ruled that Auma and the Independent Medical Legal Unit (IMLU), who sued KWS and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), failed to prove KWS held Odhiambo. Nangea closed the case, finding no evidence linking Odhiambo to KWS or DCI custody.

Yet, KWS officer David Oyugi, the assistant director of the park, admitted they arrested someone that day but didn’t record details or confirm it was Odhiambo.

Meanwhile, Ngeiywa insists Odhiambo vanished in KWS custody, and the DCI has arrested the six officers, preparing abduction-to-murder charges.

Public outrage led to week-long clashes between residents and police last month, with the promise that protests will continue until Odhiambo is found.

The case has sparked national attention, with Embakasi East MP Babu Owino urging President William Ruto to intervene, as he did for five missing chiefs.

“Order KWS and Nakuru security agents to release Odhiambo to his family,” Owino said.

Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja expressed solidarity with the family online, calling for a balanced response.

“Conservation efforts mustn’t violate residents’ rights and livelihoods,” she wrote, referencing clashes between KWS and Manyani residents.

The family, community, and advocates are demanding answers, justice, and Odhiambo’s return.