A former police officer in Trans Nzoia county is living in anguish after his wife vanished without warning from their family home, taking his licensed firearm with her.
Lilly Cherono Kimtai, 53, was last seen at the family’s Kaplamai residence in the Cherangany area on September 9.
Her husband, Michael Kimtai, had travelled to Nairobi for medical tests when he received what he described as an unusual text message from her at around 1:30 pm, stating she intended to travel to Mombasa for a holiday the following day.
“The high command of the police force is aware that I have reported that my wife got missing, went missing on 9th September,” said Kimtai.
The message caught him off guard as the trip had never been discussed between them. Shortly after that message arrived, Lilly’s phone went silent, and she has not been heard from since.
What was found at the Kaplamai home
When a farm worker was dispatched to check on the residence the next day, he found the house locked. Once the premises were accessed, it became clear that not only was Lilly gone, but her husband’s firearm and its case were also missing.
Colleagues who worked alongside Lilly at the family farm noticed something was wrong on the same day she disappeared. Rose Nelima, one of the workers, recalled the moment the alarm was raised.
“Thursday, when we came, she would call me to help her with the work. We went around the back and then went to the farm. While we were at the farm, my fellow women asked me, ‘Why hasn’t Bibi Atajiri called you today? She is used to calling you,'” said Nelima.
DCI officers subsequently arrived at the Kaplamai home to conduct a forensic examination, carefully going over every possible piece of evidence that might shed light on what occurred.
Family suspects foul play
Michael Kimtai does not believe his wife left voluntarily. He suspects she may have been taken against her will, with unknown individuals possibly forcing her to hand over both money and the weapon.
“I’m suspecting there was somebody or some people who came, abducted her from the house or hijacked her from the house, and they forced her to give them money or give them the gun,” he said.
The family has appealed to investigators to accelerate their efforts, urging authorities to prioritise finding Lilly before more time passes. With her phone off and no confirmed sighting in nearly two weeks, those close to her are growing increasingly desperate for answers.
