Bogonko Bosire's kin demand to know his whereabouts

It has been seven agonising years for the family of Bogonko Bosire. Relatives of the journalist have despaired since he went missing.

Bogonko was the family’s breadwinner. He used part of his money to buy an eight-acre piece in Kuresoi, Nakuru County.

The family says the house he had started building stalled.

“We are retired teachers and have taken loans to put a roof over our heads,” the blogger’s parents David and Esther Bosire told Nation Audio’s #CaseNumberZero, an exclusive podcast series whose final episode will be available on www.nation.africa tomorrow morning.

Since the disappearance of their son, the Bosires have also had to contend with illness.

Mr Bosire went into depression two years ago when he was found to have dementia and schizophrenia. The man, who the family describes as previously full of life and energy, is a shadow of his former self.

Family members say he keeps asking about his son.

Just before her husband became ill, Mrs Bosire was diagnosed with hypertension.

They elderly couple says the disappearance of the son in 2013 is consuming them slowly.

“We just want him back, dead or alive. We will feel settled,” Mrs Bosire told Nation Audio.

In the final episode of #Casenumberzero, Bogonko family members say they think he is alive and will show up.

They dismiss reports of his death.

Bogonko’s sister Winnie said his and the Jackal News’ social media accounts continue to be updated, “indicating that the blogger is hiding because he fears for his life”.

Through investigations by the podcasts, we know Bogonko’s business partner – a Seth Odongo – has the passwords of his social media assets.

Jackal News, a venture Bogonko started after being dismissed by AFP, has had problems.

Mr Odongo, who lives in the Netherlands, was introduced to Bogonko by a Mr Moses Rono. Calls and texts to Mr Rono have never been replied answered.

“I would wake up and see that Bogonko tweeted hours ago. I would comment and ask him where he was but he would log off. He must be scared of something,” Winnie said.

According to the law, a person who has been missing for seven years can be declared dead.

This in turn can lead to a public inquest. However, this can only be triggered by the family.

“How can you declare a person dead without a body?” Mrs Bosire asked when we presented her with the information.

A lot has come to light in the eight-episode investigation.

For instance, Bogonko’s last days were shrouded in mystery. His movements can be tracked using his phone.

Bogonko’s close friend Dennis Itumbi told the series that the journalist’s phone went off on Moi Avenue. However, we cannot verify this information.

The people interviewed said Bogonko was troubled in the days to his disappearance. The blogger was seen by a senator whom he confided to that he was being trailed by two armed men. The two were also reportedly seen at his South B house.

It is not clear why Bogonko went to Mwea where he spent a weekend with a woman he had only communicated with on Facebook. The woman deepened the mystery as this was the first time her identity was being revealed.

#CaseNumberZero is an eight-part investigative podcast series. Press play at www.nation.africa/audio to listen to the final episode from tomorrow and catch up with previous instalments