Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over four years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

- The family of Brian Odhiambo is now grappling with the painful discovery of the suspected body of their missing son.

Odhiambo had been arrested by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers nearly three months ago for illegally fishing in Lake Nakuru. Following his arrest, residents of Manyani staged protests demanding his release.

However, detectives investigating the case reported that six KWS officers who were questioned about Odhiambo’s disappearance revealed that he had escaped their custody hours after his arrest.

As the search for the missing fisherman continued, his body was reportedly spotted floating in Lake Nakuru by two local young fishermen.

Upon recognising the body, the fishermen allegedly shouted Odhiambo’s name, but they were reportedly threatened at gunpoint by alleged game park rangers and ordered to leave.

The body was then reportedly taken by the rangers, and further attempts to locate it have proven unsuccessful.

"Two youths saw a body in a sack in Ronda. When they tried to fish it out, game rangers arrived with a boat and took the body. We don't know where they took it, but it’s not at Jack’s mortuary. They should stop disturbing us. Let them give us the body and we will no longer protest on the streets," claimed one resident.

When Odhiambo’s mother was informed of the discovery, she was heartbroken. In a weak voice, she pleaded for the release of her son's body so he could be laid to rest.

"The fishermen found my son in the lake on Monday. When they tried to retrieve him, a game park boat arrived. When they identified the body as Brian's, the rangers pointed guns at them, threatening to shoot. The rangers took the body and left. Please, just give us the body so we can bury our son. Even if it’s decayed, we will accept it. I will take is as it is because I am even tired," she alleged.

Another resident stated that the fisherman who witnessed Odhiambo's body is willing to provide a statement, but only in the company of the area MP.

"Now the boy’s family wants MP David Gikaria to write a statement. They saw the feet and shoes sticking out of the manilla sack the body was in. They’re ready, but they can’t make a statement alone," she said.

Meanwhile, during a court appearance at the Nakuru Law Courts, Odhiambo's mother broke down in tears after the judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove her son had been in the custody of KWS rangers.

The grieving mother lamented that her missing son had been her only hope, and his disappearance had crushed her dream of owning a home.

The family’s heartbreak deepened just days after detectives revealed that Odhiambo’s phone had been switched off near Nakuru State House.

Source: TUKO.co.ke