- Kenyan truck driver Edwin Njuguna Ngugi was found dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo under unclear and disturbing circumstances
- His family only learnt of his death ten days later through images shared by fellow truck drivers on WhatsApp
- Ngugi’s cousin shared details of his distress call hours before he went silent, in which he spoke about military men who later left him at the mercy of rebels
A cloud of grief has engulfed a family in Malava, Busia county, following the mysterious death of their son, Edwin Njuguna Ngugi, far from home.
Source: Youtube
Ngugi, a truck driver, was killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and his body was left to decompose for days without his family being informed by any official authorities.
The young man had been driving his truck from Mombasa to DRC when his phone became unreachable on 3 April at 2:22 pm.
How did Edwin Njuguna Ngugi’s family learn of his death?
His beloved mother, Rose Ngugi, recalled their last conversation, saying her son had called to complain that the truck had broken down in a dangerous area.
“We came to learn about his death through a photo sent to us of him lying on the ground. He had been stabbed and left to die. They even shot him, and there were ants all over his body,” said a relative.
The family also shared his final conversation with his cousin, in which he said the truck had broken down in Bunia, DRC, and the receiver of the goods had not arrived.
“I am in deep trouble. The road here is bad, and the truck’s wheels got punctured. Right now, I am being guarded by some military men. Yesterday, I was almost attacked by men armed with machetes, but by good luck the military officers were nearby and have been protecting me,” Edwin said in a message to his cousin.
Source: Youtube
In his distress call, Ngugi said the owner of the goods had promised to send another truck to offload the cargo, but that had not yet happened.
Tragically, the military men allegedly took his money, promising to protect him as he waited for the cargo owner to arrive. Instead, they abandoned him, leaving him at the mercy of rebels.
The rebels reportedly killed him, looted the truck, and dumped his body in the forest.
Days later, fellow Kenyan truck drivers discovered his trailer and body in a foreign land. They shared videos and images in a WhatsApp group in the hope of tracing his family.
“The driver of this truck is said to have been killed and has been lying here for the past three days,” said one of the drivers who found his vehicle and body.
This is how his family learned of his death, ten days after his brutal killing. His body was later taken to Bunia Hospital mortuary.
Now, his heartbroken family is seeking help to bring his body home for burial, as they plead with the government to intervene.
“My son is in Congo, and the military men are asking me to allow them to bury him there. But I do not want him interred away from home,” said Rose.
The grieving mother also called out the company her son worked for, accusing it of remaining silent on the matter.
“If he is humane, he should help bring my son’s body home,” she added.
What happened to the Nyandarua woman in Turkey?
In other news, TUKO.co.ke reported that a family in Nyandarua has appealed for help to raise KSh 2.5 million to repatriate their daughter’s body from Turkey.
Hannah Njambi died while working abroad, having relocated in search of better opportunities so as to provide for her family back home.
Her mother revealed that she fell ill shortly after arriving in Turkey but remained determined to continue working, despite repeated pleas from her family to return home.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
