Hope as calls made from missing soldier’s line

The family of one of the Kenyan soldiers attacked last month in El-Adde, Somalia, on Wednesday got phone calls from the number the army man was using in the war-torn country.

This took place as Mr Salesio Rinu’s family from Twale Village in Meru County filled the grave in which Corporal David Gitonga, 35, was to be buried on Saturday.

Corporal Gitonga’s brother, Mr Paul Murithi, told the Nation that his cousin, who works in the Kenya Navy, received calls from the line the soldier used in Somalia.

“My cousin, Paul Mwiti, found missed calls from the number. However, on calling back, the calls were not going through,” said Mr Murithi.

Mr Murithi said the family had forwarded details of the missed calls to the Defence ministry headquarters for tracking.

Plans to bury Corporal Gitonga hit a snag last week when the family was told that DNA samples did not match the body they had earlier identified.

Mr Rinu, the father of Corporal Gitonga, said he hoped for the best.

“I believe he is still alive. If he is dead, I have to see his body,” said Mr Rinu.

The family, led by Njuri Ncheke elders, carried out rituals at the grave since the body had not been found.

Mr Samson Laawa, who led the rituals, said a family member could die if the grave remained open.

“It is a bad omen for a grave to remain open if the body has not been traced. The cleansing we have conducted today will keep away evil forces that could have brought a curse to the family.

“We have cleansed the grave and the homestead. If the cleansing is not done, even if the missing person is alive, he may die,” said the elder.

Corporal Gitonga joined the military in 2006 and is married, with two sons.

Elsewhere, one of the Kenyan soldiers who went missing during the raid on the El-Adde camp by Al-Shabaab insurgents has finally been confirmed dead.

Mr Derrick Cheruiyot was among the troops sent to Somalia in January, when a camp for Kenyan soldiers was overrun by the terrorists.

An unknown number of Kenyan soldiers were killed during the night attack.

The Government has not given the official number of the fatalities. However, a number of bodies have since been ferried home for burial.

Some families are yet to trace their loved ones or receive bodies for burial.

Family members at Mr Cheruiyot’s Bomet home told the Nation that Defence ministry officials broke the sad news to them yesterday.