THE UNSOLVED MYSTERY OF PHELIX OCHIENG'S DISAPPEARANCE

Phelix Ochieng has been unaccounted for since December 2023 when he departed from his residence to go to work. His mother, Rose Atieno, has been enduring restless nights filled with disturbing dreams ever since. According to Atieno, Ochieng’s neighbors mentioned that he was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black t-shirt but did not return home that evening. "Days have morphed into weeks, and weeks into months, yet my son's whereabouts remain unknown," Atieno laments. The family grew increasingly alarmed when their repeated calls to Phelix's mobile phone went unanswered for an entire week. This led Atieno to send her sister, Alice Suleiman, who resides in the same locality, to check on Ochieng's house. She discovered that the door was locked from the outside.

The disappearance was subsequently reported at the Kisumu Central Police Station by Ochieng’s younger brother, Escol Obondo. Atieno revealed that they have searched every conceivable location for her son, including mortuaries in Kisumu. "We have inspected the morgues at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital and the Kisumu County Referral Hospital, hoping to find him among the unclaimed bodies, but to no avail," she explained, noting that since December, her nights have been plagued with terrible dreams.

"Every day, I plead with God to keep my son safe wherever he might be," she says. Described by his mother as an obedient and gentle individual, Ochieng was known for his cheerful disposition and compassionate nature. "Ochieng is a very disciplined child. At his age, he would assist me with household chores, undertake menial jobs, and do the shopping for the family," Atieno recounts. After finishing his high school education in 2019 at Luora Mixed Secondary School in Rangwe Sub-county, Ochieng engaged in unskilled labor in the village before deciding to seek employment opportunities in the city—a decision his mother supported, knowing that her eldest son, who lived in Kisumu, would accommodate his younger brother. Ochieng left their home in Kokoko Village, Rangwe Sub-county, in Homa Bay County in pursuit of job opportunities in Kisumu County.

"Given his hardworking nature, I didn't want him to be idle, so I used my connections to help him secure a job as a waiter. My aunt, Alice Suleiman, also lived in the same estate where he rented a house, so he would visit her occasionally after work," says Obondo. Obondo mentions that even Ochieng’s closest friend is unaware of his whereabouts. "You see, my brother is an introvert; he doesn't have many friends, not even a girlfriend. Tracing someone like that is incredibly challenging. We just hope and pray that one day he will come back home safe," says Obondo.