This archive report was first published on 17 November 2019.
Tragic Disappearance ¶
On November 16, police recovered three bodies from Makaburini in Laikipia county, suspected to be those of Joyce Syombua and her two children, Shanice and Michael.
According to their mother, Elizabeth Maua Malombe, she had warned Joyce against visiting her estranged husband, Peter Mugure, at Nanyuki barracks, citing a bad intuition.
Malombe revealed that a week before October 25, Joyce had won a child upkeep case against her husband, with a DNA test confirming that Mugure was the biological father of the children.
However, Mugure was granted regular access to his children by the court, leading to Joyce and the children visiting him at Nanyuki barracks.
Malombe had warned Joyce that her intuition was not for the visit, and that Mugure should come to Kayole, Nairobi, to see the children. Joyce, however, told her mother that nothing bad would happen, and that Mugure had even sent her bus fare to visit him in Nanyuki.
Police recovered the bodies of Joyce and her children from Makaburini in Thingithu area, with the children stacked on top of their mother.
Thingithu is approximately 9 minutes away from the Laikipia Air Base.
Peter Mugure, the main suspect, was arrested on November 15, following a report filed by Malombe at Kayole Police Station, who reported that she was unable to reach her daughter on phone.
Malombe's sentiments came after police recovered the bodies of Joyce and her children, with the children stacked on top of their mother.
"Syombua had sued Mugure for child upkeep after he said he couldn't support the children because he was not sure that the kids were sired by him. One week to October 25, the judge ruled that Mugure should provide for the children after DNA test results on the kids revealed that he was their biological father," said Malombe.
"I, however, warned her that my intuition was not for the visit, and that Mugure should come to Kayole, Nairobi, and see the children; that was on October 24. My daughter, however, told me that nothing bad would happen to them, and that Mugure had even sent her bus fare to visit him in Nanyuki. I told her: 'Okay, go ahead with your plan, but know that I am against it,'" said Malombe.
Police recovered the bodies of Joyce and her children from Makaburini in Thingithu area, with the children stacked on top of their mother.
Thingithu is approximately 9 minutes away from the Laikipia Air Base.
Malombe's sentiments came after police recovered the bodies of Joyce and her children, with the children stacked on top of their mother.
