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Family questions police report on missing Mombasa taxi driver Victoria Mumbua's whereabouts
More than 10 hours after the National Police Service disclosed that the Mombasa taxi driver Victoria Mumbua Muloki, who went missing was found unconscious in Migori, her family is yet to be notified about her whereabouts.
On Monday evening, Ms Muloki’s mother Anne Kanini told Nation that they received information that she had been found and plans were being made to airlift her to Mombasa.
The Nation reached out to police spokesperson Resila Onyango who confirmed the information later at 7pm.
Dr Onyango confirmed that Ms Muloki had been found injured and unconscious near Uriri dam in Migori County.
"We found her unconscious near the embankment of Uriri dam and with serious injuries in both the head and hands," she said.
She added that the Ms Muloki had been evacuated to a local facility for treatment and the family members had been notified of the same.
However, by 3pm on Tuesday, neither the family nor the media had received any updates on the driver’s whereabouts. This is despite Nation making efforts to get the information from the police.
It has since emerged that both the police headquarters and Ms Muloki’s family in Mombasa may have been duped by unknown people.
Her mother told Nation that they had sent Sh20,000 to someone in Migori who had told them that the money would help facilitate her airlifting to Mombasa.
Ms Kanini said they were yet to be informed of her daughter’s whereabouts by Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m planning to go to the regional police headquarters so that I can be updated,” Ms Kanini said in a phone call.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday outside the Nakuru court, Mumbua's niece Mbithe Muigai expressed surprise at the reports attributed to police that her aunt had been airlifted for treatment.
Ms Muigai confirmed that on Monday evening, someone called her aunt's pastor in Mombasa, claiming to be an officer from Migori, and demanded Sh20,000.
The caller alleged that Muloki had been found unconscious and in critical condition, and the money was needed for her airlift to Mombasa.
After receiving the cash, the caller switched off the phone, leading to confusion as the report attributed to the police spread that Ms Muloki had been located.
“We have not found her, and we do not have any information regarding her whereabouts,” said Ms Muigai.
On Sunday, detectives arrested 33-year-old Edwin Ngetich Kipkemoi, who was found with a stolen vehicle believed to belong to Mumbua.
He was intercepted at Pipeline Junction along the Nakuru-Nairobi highway while driving a white Nissan Serena with registration number KDQ 182F.
Ngetich was apprehended while heading westward, alone in the vehicle, and without Ms Muloki.
The taxi driver went missing after taking a client from Mombasa to Samburu in Kwale last Friday.