Mystery deepens as search for Brian Odhiambo stalls

As sunlight filters through acacia trees in Lake Nakuru National Park, unease grips the search party.

The disappearance of 31-year-old fisherman Brian Odhiambo is no longer just a missing person case—it is a haunting mystery wrapped in secrecy, suspicion, and alleged cover-up.

Odhiambo disappeared on January 18, 2025, under circumstances that security officers at the park cannot explain. 

His family insists he was among those arrested by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers that day, yet no records of his detention exists.

Since then, his whereabouts have remained unknown, pushing his loved ones into a desperate quest for answers.

On a tense Monday afternoon, a convoy of Directorate of Criminal Investigations officers, Kenya Police, human rights activists, journalists alongside Odhiambo’s grieving family, were finally granted restricted access to the park.

The reluctant permission came after an initial denial on Thursday last week by KWS, who barred investigators and family from entering the park.

Under heavy scrutiny, the group entered the park through an Informer, his face hidden beneath a veil, revealing only his anxious eyes.

He claimed to have insider knowledge from KWS officers who disclosed the location where the bodies had been dumped.

The search party navigated through Mwariki area after their initial attempt to access the park was thwarted by swelling lake waters that had submerged the road.

They passed Barut Gate before reaching Prestigious Hotel, a quiet lodge nestled along the lake’s shores.

There, near some solar panels at the far end, the informer pointed to a patch of disturbed soil beneath a tree.

“This is the first site they brought me to, there was one body here,” he said.

Crime scene investigators sprang into action, capturing photographs and collecting soil samples after excavation. But after some digging, no human remains were found. Frustration mounted as Elizabeth Auma, Brian’s mother broke down in tears.

As the informer led the team deeper into the park through dense thickets, startled baboons and gazelles darted away while watchful KWS officers stood guard, ensuring the search team’s safety from wild animals.

About 50 meters from where the vehicles were parked, the informer guided them to an acacia tree. There, nine shallow holes lay scattered, six of them freshly dug.

“This is where Brian’s body was,”  the informer declared, pointing at one of the fresh mounds.

But once again, despite extensive forensic work, no body was found.

“So far, we have not found any bodies. The informer led us here, claiming this is where Brian’s body was, but as you have all seen, there is nothing. Now that we have not found anything, we are closing the search for the day. We have taken soil samples for forensic analysis,” Nakuru East DCIO Samuel Ngeiywa informed the search party.

He then turned to a senior KWS officer for clarification on the mysterious holes.

“I need a report on whether these holes were dug by humans, wild animals, or even herbalists searching for medicinal plants. Personally, I am not an expert in that area. We have documented today’s findings, and a representative from each team present will sign the inventory,” Ngeiywa stated.

For Odhiambo’s family, the day’s outcome was devastating. His mother, Elizabeth Auma, stood at the edge of the site, her face etched with grief and disbelief.

“I am not satisfied at all. These sites looked disturbed, and I believe they moved the bodies. But what is hidden will be revealed. If they took my son’s body from here and buried it elsewhere, we will find him,” she vowed.

Brian’s wife, Alvy Aoko, was equally distraught.

“Tomorrow marks exactly two months since my husband disappeared. We just want the truth. My children are suffering,” she said.

Human rights activists and lawyers condemned the obstacles placed before investigators by the KWS management.

“This information came to light on Thursday. Since then, everyone has urged KWS to allow access to the site to verify whether the witness’s claims were true,” said Hussein Khalid, an official from Haki Africa, a human rights group.

His sentiments were echoed by family lawyer Mogendi Abuya, who revealed that on Thursday, KWS denied investigators and the family entry, citing the need for approval from a higher office.