Kitale Family Seeks Help After Relative Disappears in UK

A Kenyan postgraduate student has been reported missing in the United Kingdom, with police and a human rights organisation appealing for information to help locate her.

Edna Mmbali Ombakho, 30, was last seen on Sunday, 1 February, in Wraysbury, Berkshire. Her family says they have not heard from her since, which they describe as highly unusual given her regular communication.

The family, based in Kitale, raised the alarm after more than a week without contact and sought assistance from the human rights organisation HAKI Africa. The organisation confirmed it was approached by the family and has since issued a public appeal for information.

Ms Ombakho is described as soft-spoken and reliable in keeping in touch with relatives. She is approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall and had travelled to the UK to pursue a Master’s degree. At the time of her disappearance, she was living in Wraysbury.

British authorities have opened an investigation into her disappearance. Members of the public in the UK are being urged to contact the police on 999 and quote Investigation Number 43260053275 if they have any information that could assist enquiries.

HAKI Africa said it is also coordinating with the family, who have shared contact numbers in Kenya for anyone who may have relevant information. In a statement issued on 7 February, the organisation appealed for immediate assistance from anyone who may have seen or heard from Ms Ombakho.

The case comes amid ongoing investigations into the deaths of several Kenyans in the UK in recent weeks. In January, Kepha Otieno was found dead in Reading, where he had been living without stable housing, while Marianne Kilonzi, a Kenyan-born banking executive, was discovered deceased in her London flat. Both cases remain under investigation.

Ms Ombakho’s family has reiterated its appeal for help, urging anyone with information, however small, to come forward as efforts to locate her continue.