Their search ended in grief on Monday when her body was exhumed in Onalo Oboke village at the homestead where her husband was employed.

Ronald Khaemba father of deceased Brenda Nafula addressing the media in Ugunja Siaya County

For months, Ronald Khaemba searched for his daughter, hoping she would return home or that someone would tell him where she had gone.

His sixth-born daughter, Brenda Nafula, had told him she was married and living with her husband, Dennis Okoth, in Ugunja, Siaya county. She had even given him directions to where they lived.

But when Nafula disappeared in September last year, efforts to trace her failed, leaving her family anxious and uncertain about her fate.

The discovery came about as investigators probed another case of a missing woman who was also found dead, with Nafula’s husband being arrested in connection with the case.

Khaemba said he had repeatedly tried to find his daughter after she went missing.

“When she left home, she did not have an identity card, so I went and got one for her. She had told me she was married to this man and that they were living in Ugunja. She gave me directions to where they lived,” he said.

He travelled to Ugunja to search for Nafula and was told that the young man she lived with had left with her.

Unable to establish her whereabouts, Khaemba reported the matter to Ugunja police station. He continued following up on the case, travelling to the area in the hope of finding his daughter.

“I kept wondering where my daughter had gone. We tried looking for them, but our efforts were in vain,” he said.

In August this year, Khaemba returned to the police station and was advised to visit the homestead where Nafula’s husband was employed and gather information that could help establish their whereabouts.

During the search, the family learnt that the young man had allegedly stolen from his father and fled.

The discovery of Nafula’s remains has left the family seeking answers about her death.

Khaemba is also worried about the young child she left behind who is now in the custody of child services following Okoth’s arrest.

The investigators had on September 4 discovered the remains of 56-year-old Eunice Juma Siaji, who had gone missing a day earlier and was reportedly later found buried in a store/servants' quarters in her compound.

Okoth, was arrested in connection with Siaji’s death and is being held at Ukwala police station as investigations continue.

Siaji, a mother of four, was the suspect's employer in Masiro village, Ugenya.

After his arrest over Siaji’s death, Okoth then led the police to the first house, where he had buried his wife in Onalo Oboke village, and an exhumation was done on Monday.

Authorities are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding both deaths and determine whether the cases are connected.

Retired detective Wilson Ochieng’ Konieng’, who said he had worked with local security structures for 38 years, said digital leads helped trace the suspect to Maraba in Kakamega county.

He said tracking technology and photographs of the suspect were shared with local authorities, helping to secure the arrest and subsequently discover the burial site.

Ochieng’ urged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to widen its inquiries and pursue all leads to establish what happened to the two women.

Nafula’s cousin Justus Masika, who travelled from Bungoma after the discovery, appealed to the government to expedite forensic examinations and DNA testing so the family could proceed with burial arrangements.

“We are asking the government to fast-track these medical and forensic processes so that we can take our child home for a proper and dignified burial according to our customs,” Masika said.

For Khaemba and his family, the search for Nafula has ended in a devastating discovery. They are now awaiting forensic tests and the outcome of investigations to provide answers about her death.

The exhumation of Brenda Nafula’s body has brought a painful end to her family’s months-long search, but many questions remain unanswered. The discovery of another woman’s remains raises further questions for detectives, who must establish the circumstances of both deaths and determine whether they are connected.

For the grieving families, swift forensic examinations, thorough investigations and clear answers are essential to securing justice and allowing them to give their loved ones dignified burials.