What began as an ordinary school day has turned into a heartbreaking nightmare for a family in Sagana, Kirinyaga County, after their six-year-old daughter, Shantel Nekesa, disappeared without a trace.
Weeks have now passed, but the little girl’s family continues to cling to hope, desperately praying for the day she walks back through their front door.
The last known moments before Shantel vanished were captured by a CCTV camera outside a roadside shop near the village centre. The footage has since become a crucial piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation.
At approximately 6:16 p.m., the young girl is seen walking hand in hand with an unidentified man. The pair enter a nearby shop, where the man calmly buys her cakes before leading her away.
The footage shows the stranger holding Shantel’s hand firmly as they leave the shop. Nothing about the encounter appeared suspicious enough to alarm those nearby.
Shop owner Madeline Njoki recalled serving the pair but said she had no reason to suspect anything was wrong.
“I didn’t recognise the man, and his face was fully covered. After leaving the shop, he headed towards the upper road,” she said.
The identity of the man remains unknown, and investigators are working tirelessly to trace him.
For Shantel’s mother, Cynthia Wambui, every passing day feels like an eternity.
She remembers that morning vividly. It started like any other as she prepared her daughter for school before leaving for the hospital with her youngest child, who was unwell.
She had no idea it would be the last time she would see her little girl.
“I later received a call that Shantel had been seen with a man no one knew. When people asked him where he was taking the child, he said he was going to buy her a book,” Wambui recounted.
Since then, there has been no sign of Shantel.
Fighting back tears, the distraught mother made an emotional plea that has touched many hearts.
“I just want to see my daughter alive. I want her to return home to me. She is only six years old,” she said.
The disappearance has shaken the Sagana community, with neighbours and volunteers joining the search while urging parents to remain extra vigilant whenever children are walking to or from school.
The case also highlights a growing national concern. According to the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children’s Services, 10,581 children were reported missing in Kenya between January 2025 and March 2026, underscoring the urgent need for stronger child protection measures and increased public awareness.
As police continue investigating, Shantel’s family is appealing to anyone who may have seen her or recognises the man captured on CCTV to come forward. Even the smallest piece of information could be the breakthrough that reunites a little girl with the family that has been waiting, hoping, and praying for her safe return.
