Dr. Gideon Wamasebu Simiyu
The family of Dr. Gedeon Wamasebu, 61, a former health officer in Uganda who was kidnapped, killed and his body found buried in Kakamega is yet to identify his body.
The family said in a statement Tuesday that they were waiting for the completion of the extensive tests to ascertain his identity.
“A body was retrieved and both Kenyan and Ugandan medical personnel are conducting extensive tests to ascertain the identity of the body. We have been advised to wait for the results before drawing a conclusion,” Wamasebu’s family said.
They confirmed that he traveled to Kenya for business purposes.
The family said he left home in Mbale on February 6, 2023, for a business trip.
On February 7, Wamasebu’s family received messages from his phone indicating that he was kidnapped and they were required to send a ransom for him to be set free.
They reported the incident to Ugandan police who got in touch with Kenyan counterparts in the investigation.
The family said the police arrested suspects in their investigation.
On February 13 the suspected body of the Ugandan health worker was exhumed in a shallow grave in Kabras, Kakamega County.
This followed a lead by one of the suspects, his accomplice who was accompanied by police to where the body was buried on February 10.
Police said they followed blood stains to a river where a shallow grave had been dug.
They suspected that kidnappers killed Wamasebu after they failed to receive Sh4 million ransom.
Preliminary investigations had shown the doctor traveled to Kenya a week ago in the company of a man who claimed to be a pastor.
Police said a suspect who was using the doctor’s mobile phone number to send extortion text messages to relatives was arrested.
They added that the suspect was well known to the medic and had visited him in Uganda on several occasions.
