Maryann, 14, goes shopping, never comes back

 

On June 11, Mirriam Wanga sent her daughter Maryanne Gathoni shopping as she went out for the day’s tasks. When she came back, her daughter was nowhere to be seen.

Three months on, there's not a trace of the pretty, vivacious 14-year-old girl.

Maryanne, fondly known in her family as 'Kamum', is a Class 8 pupil at Nakeel Primary school. The family lives in Kware area of Ongata Rongai in Kajiado North constituency.

The following day, Mirriam, the mother of three, reported the disappearance to Rongai police station under OB number 24/12/06/2020.

It has been three months of intense searching. No report from the police.

So did the first-born daughter visit a relative, neighbour or a friend? Or did something else happen?

The mother told the Star she has visited all relatives and neighbours where she suspected Gathoni could have gone, but nothing has come of it. 

It is a mysterious disappearance, she said, because Gathoni has never gone missing before. There was no quarrel at home or tension, she said.

"Right now I don't have anything to say," she said when asked what she suspects could have happened to her daughter. 

Tired, deflated and frustrated, Wanga said all the efforts of her life have been invested in searching for her daughter .

Every time she receives a call from the police station, she drops everything and rushes there. Maybe her daughter has been found and she is required to identify her.

Wednesday was such a day. At the time the Star reached out to her, Mirriam  had just received a call from Rongai police station and was on her way there, gasping for breath, suggesting she was rushing.

"They have called me to be at the station. I don't know what it is but I hope it's good news," she said in frustration.

It wasn't Maryann. 

The family hope this phase of their lives fades swiftly and they are reunited with their daughter.