Missing Voi teacher: Wife in agony as search takes toll

A picture of the missing teacher, Mr Kepha Otwoma. Mr Otwoma has been heard from since he left his house in Voi on June 20, 2018. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • Family of missing teacher has looked everywhere, including local hospitals and mortuaries.
  • Voi police said they have shared his particulars with colleagues countrywide.
  • TSC official says she was aware teacher had health problems and had been on bed rest.

It was Wednesday last week when a secondary school teacher strolled out of his house promising to come back shortly but never returned.

Mr Kepha Otwoma, a teacher at Mwaghogho Secondary School in Voi, Taita Taveta County told his family that he had gone to a nearby shopping centre at railways residential houses in Voi town but has not returned since.

Police, education officials and his family are searching for the missing teacher whose phone’s last signal was traced in Maungu town on Nairobi-Mombasa highway.

The teacher’s wife, Anne, says his phone is off and she has not heard from him since Wednesday.

“I kept calling his mobile phone in the evening but he was not answering. After a few hours, the phone went off,” she says.

Ms Anne says her husband looked troubled when he left but had claimed he had work-related issues.

She says her husband's stress started when he was made an acting deputy headteacher at Funju Secondary School in Wundanyi seven years ago.

According to his wife, the 35-year-old remained in an acting capacity until recently when he was transferred to his new station.

“This really stressed him because despite giving it all, there was no promotion,” she says.

The missing teacher’s family has searched for him in local hospitals, mortuaries and police stations.

The mother of two says the search is taking a psychological toll on her.

“My children keep on asking me where their dad is. I don’t know what to tell them,” she says.

Voi OCPD Joseph Chesire says the police have circulated his particulars to police stations countrywide and have not received feedback yet.

The county Teachers Service Commission director, Ms Joyce Kikuvi, says they they had planned to meet on Tuesday to chart the way forward.

Ms Kikuvi says the teacher was on bed rest and they were aware of his health problems.

"The teacher was transferred from his previous station because of his health. I understand that he was on bed rest on that particular day," she says.