- It’s suspected he might have disappeared on Monday night before a report on his missing was made to Siaya police station on Tuesday, February 27.
- The enforcement officer went missing while at the county revenue office on Monday
Image: HANDOUT
A Siaya County government staffer who had been reported missing since February 26 has been found alive.
Nicholas Ooro, 37, an enforcement officer in Governor James Orengo’s administration is said to have gone missing while on duty at Siaya County Government’s revenue offices on Monday.
Ooro’s torn uniforms, beret and mobile phone were discovered within the premises.
He was found alive at a thicket within the neighbouring Vihiga county on Thursday.
A police source told the Star that Ooro might have been abducted from his place of work on the fateful day.
It’s suspected he might have disappeared on Monday night before a report on his missing made to Siaya police station on Tuesday, February 27.
The matter was later taken over by Directorate of Criminal Investigations sleuths attached to the same police station who immediately launched a search on the missing person with the help of their Kenya Police Service counterparts.
A police source told the Star that Ooro was found bundled inside a sack. It’s not clear the health condition he was when he was found.
DCI detectives from Vihiga took the victim to hospital as they waited for their Siaya counterparts to go and pick him up.
Ooro’s relatives on Wednesday expressed fears about his disappearance as they called on the police to do whatever possible to help them find their kin.
His wife Mary Auma said they learnt of his disappearance when his colleagues visited their home in the Rarieda subcounty to inquire about his whereabouts.
Auma said her husband left home for work as usual on Monday evening but didn’t return home the following day.
"My husband’s colleagues came to my house yesterday asking about his whereabouts, but we hadn't seen him. When I asked why they were looking for him, they played dumb noting that they had come to pick him up for work. Later, my brother called informing me that his body hadn’t been recovered but his uniform and phone had," Auma told reporters in Siaya town on Wednesday.
The family had pleaded with the police to help them trace their relative and return him home.
The county’s secretary Joseph Ogutu had earlier confirmed that Ooro was an employee of the Siaya County Government and that he had been reported missing.
Ogutu who also spoke to reporters on Wednesday said police had launched a probe into the incident.
"Ooro has gone missing since Tuesday. The matter was reported to Siaya Police Station. Ooro's family has been notified and the police have recorded statements from various county government officers and family members to aid in the ongoing investigations," Ogutu said.