In the serene Ngere village of West Kanyada, Homa Bay County, an aging patriarch, Alfred Konge Bore, now 70, bears the heavy burden of a lost son and a mystery that threatens to unravel the fabric of his family.
Four years have elapsed since David Odhach Konge, Bore’s 31-year-old son, vanished without a trace. Konge’s disappearance from the family’s tranquil village life in February 2019 has left an eerie void that his family has been striving to fill with hope, awaiting his return. Yet, the recent disclosure of deaths linked to the notorious Shakahola cult has intensified Bore’s deep-seated apprehensions.
The younger Konge’s departure was innocuous enough – an excursion to the bustling Rodi Kopany town. He was 27 at the time and unencumbered by the weight of a mobile phone, an absence that now looms large over the family’s efforts to locate him. The excursion proved to be far from routine. Konge, who had always returned home in the past, never did this time.
“As the days turned into months, it dawned on us that his absence was not normal,” Bore recounted, his voice breaking with the weight of his anguish.
In 2020, Bore took a decisive step, filing a missing person report with the Rodi Police Station. This action sparked a quest for Konge that would take Bore from village to village, following the whispers of his son’s sightings.
First, there was a possible sighting at Kipasi trading center in neighboring Mbita Sub-county. “An acquaintance claimed to have seen him there,” Bore noted, “but upon my arrival, I found no trace of my son.”
A similar episode unfolded in 2021 in Oyugis town, Rachuonyo South Sub-county. Despite several visits, Bore’s efforts proved futile, leaving the family more distressed about the uncertainty surrounding Konge’s whereabouts.
Bore believes that his son’s affinity for manual work may have lured him into precarious situations, possibly even exploitative labor conditions. “He always had a knack for physical work,” Bore shared, “but the recent news about Shakahola cult-related deaths is deeply troubling. It’s hard not to worry.”
With desperation and hope intermingling, Bore implores his fellow Kenyans for assistance, hoping that someone, somewhere, might recognize his son. “If anyone sees him or knows anything about his whereabouts,” Bore entreated, “please, reach out to me or notify the nearest police station.”
As Bore continues his relentless search, his plea echoes beyond the boundaries of his village, resounding across the nation, a painful reminder of a son lost and a mystery unsolved.