An 18-year-old Form Four student, Silvia Nyakio, from Kerugoya Girls High School in Kenya, was found alive in Mwea, Kirinyaga County, after going missing for over a month. Nyakio disappeared on August 15, 2026, shortly before she was due to return to school to prepare for her final examinations. Her family had been searching for her, and the police were informed three days after her disappearance.
Nyakio's mother, Millicent Mumbi, had been searching for her along the Kagio-Kutus road when she stopped at a food stall in the Spenser area and showed the women there her daughter's photograph. One of the women recognized Nyakio from the photograph and told Mumbi that a girl matching Nyakio's description had been moving around the area asking for food and appearing unable to find her way home.
Mumbi rushed to the woman's home and found her daughter alive. Nyakio broke down in tears when she saw her mother and appeared confused about what had happened during the period she was missing. According to Mumbi, Nyakio told her that she had been asking for directions to their homestead in vain, eating anything she could find while looking for their home.
The family said Nyakio appeared weak and had lost significant weight during the time she was missing. Her mother said the first thing Nyakio repeatedly asked for after they were reunited was to return to school. Nyakio was taken to hospital for medical assessment and treatment, while police asked Mumbi to record a statement following her daughter's recovery.
The circumstances surrounding Nyakio's disappearance remain unclear. Her family in Njegas village, Kirinyaga Central, had spent weeks searching for her. Mumbi had previously described her daughter as quiet and disciplined and said there had been no indication that she intended to leave home.
Nyakio's cousin, Kevin Gatu, said the family had been in regular contact with her before she disappeared and could not understand what had happened. Nyakio's grandmother, who shares the girl's name, said her granddaughter had hoped to become a teacher. The family is now awaiting further medical assessment as police investigate the circumstances surrounding Nyakio's disappearance and her movements during the more than one month she was missing.
The police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding Nyakio's disappearance. Key points include that Nyakio was found alive over a month after she went missing, her family had been searching for her and had reported her missing to the police, and she appeared weak and confused when she was reunited with her mother.
Key points
- Nyakio was found alive in Mwea, Kirinyaga County, after going missing for over a month.
- The family had been searching for Nyakio and had reported her missing to the police.
- Nyakio appeared weak and had lost significant weight during the time she was missing.
