The distraught family of a young man who went missing days after his graduation has been found dead. Erick Ouma Ombewa went missing on Tuesday, December 31, during the New Year’s Eve celebration after graduating on Friday, December 27. Ouma’s mum confirms son’s body in Bondo He graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Science) alongside his best friend and neighbour, Brian Obutho. Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Obutho confirmed the sad news about his friend that left him and the deceased’s family emotional scars. “His body was taken to the mortuary. An unidentified man took it. Ouma’s mum headed to the mortuary in Bondo to confirm that it was indeed her son. There has been no further information concerning the same, but investigations are still underway,” he painfully noted.
He also noted that the 26-year-old, meeting his friends on New Year’s Eve ahead of the celebrations, had some scars on his face. Obutho recounts last moments with Ouma He painfully recounted the last moments with his university mate, returning to the day they graduated. “It was the last time we saw each other face to face. Despite being neighbours, we have not visited or bumped into each other since then. On the day he went missing, I tried calling him, but his phone was off. He had mentioned that he had never ushered in a new year at home, so as was his custom, he left in the morning. He was going to meet a couple of friends in town,” Obutho narrated. Ouma changed his mind around 8pm and decided to meet his other friends at Akala Market, where he would welcome 2025. Ouma’s phone tracked by police They met at an entertainment joint, where they proceeded with celebrations at the venue where he went missing.
“I called him the following day, but his phone was still off. I visited his home, but he was not present. I visited his home a couple of days later, but he still was not there, and his phone was still off. We involved the police, who tracked and traced his phone to the last place he was in. The owner of the place also wrote a statement as investigations kicked off,” he said. Obutho said Ouma’s mum was depressed following her son’s disappearance and feared more for her well-being after her son’s death.
by John Green
