From right -Benard Sidori, who is the father of the missing man Man Odingo, his mother Loice Sidori, a friend to the family Agatha Mukami and sister Jessicah Sidori
Eight months after the disappearance of a man allegedly assaulted at a chang'aa brewing den, his family is still searching for answers as one suspect has been arraigned in Eldoret.
The family of Manasse Odingo Sindori says they have searched for him in vain since his disappearance.
They were informed he was allegedly struck on the head with a stick at the chang'aa den, died and that his body was placed in a sack before being dumped at an unknown location.
Evans Onyango Akoth was presented before Chief Magistrate Peter Ndwiga, where investigators sought more time to complete investigations into the case.
DCI officer Mercy Kathure, the investigating officer, told the court that Akoth was the last person seen with the missing man.
The magistrate allowed an application by the investigating officer to detain the suspect for 14 days to enable police to complete the investigations.
According to the court, Akoth had been missing since the alleged incident on August 10 last year in the King'ong'o area near Huruma Estate.
He surrendered to police on Tuesday in the company of his lawyer Elijah Ayieko.
During the proceedings, Ayieko unsuccessfully applied for his client's release on bail, arguing that Akoth should be treated as a "darling" of the court and was not a flight risk.
However, Chief Magistrate Ndwiga declined the request.
"I have considered arguments by both sides and find that the accused is a flight risk because he has been missing and no explanation has been given as to where he was," ruled Ndwiga.
Kathure and prosecutor Eric Kiarie also opposed the bail application, telling the court that the suspect's life could be at risk if released because residents from where the incident allegedly occurred were baying for his blood.
In an affidavit filed before the court, Kathure said the missing man and two other people were allegedly working for the suspect and that Akoth was the last person seen with him before he disappeared.
She told the court that investigators had recorded statements from key witnesses who alleged that the suspect had disagreed with Sindori over the disappearance of 60 litres of chang'aa from the brewing den.
Kathure further said another key witness claimed to have seen the suspect strike the missing man on the head with a large piece of firewood before allegedly placing his body in a sack, loading it into a white Toyota Noah and driving to an unknown destination.
"The missing person, Manasse Odingo Sindori, has not been found to date," Kathure told the court.
She further stated that Akoth had been missing since November 2025 after information linking him to Sindori's disappearance became public.
She added that his mobile phone could not be reached, making it difficult for police to arrest him.
Kathure said the suspect later surrendered to police and argued that releasing him before investigations are completed could endanger his life because of public anger over the case.
The court directed the matter be mentioned on July 14, 2026, for further directions.
Throughout the proceedings, Sindori's family sat quietly in court, hoping the case would finally provide answers after months of uncertainty.
Those present included his mother, Loice Sidori, father, Benard Sidori, sister, Jessicah Sidori, and family friend Agatha Mukami.
"We have searched for my son in vain, but we hope there will be a breakthrough so that we have closure on this issue that has taken a toll on our family," Loice said.
