‘We call her phone daily,’ Maureen Gitau’s family in distress over her disappearance in London
Maureen Gitau’s family in the United Kingdom did not celebrate Christmas or the New Year with her. The 24-year-old had disappeared without a trace and the last time the family heard from her was on December 5, 2022.
Ms. Gitau’s family spoke exclusively to Nairobi News on Wednesday, January 4, 2023, about the harrowing feeling they have over her disappearance.
She said that despite police reports that “something bad” might have happened to her daughter, they had not seen or heard from her since December 5, 2022, when she left their home in Evelyn Street in Deptford, Lewisham, Southeast London.
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Ms. Jane Kigotho the mother of Ms. Gitau said that her daughter was always loving and went out of the way to ensure that they were all doing well.
“She was a loving girl, always happy and as well very caring. She was the source of joy in this family,” Ms. Kigotho told this reporter on phone.
The family is now more distressed than ever since Ms. Gitau has been missing for close to a month now.
Ms. Kigotho said that her daughter was born in Consolata Matharii Hospital in Nyeri County in 1998 and the following year the mother left for the UK.
In 2000, her daughter joined her in the UK and they have been living together ever since.
Ms. Faith Njeri who is the aunt of the missing lady said that for the last month after their daughter disappeared, they have kept calling her in vain.
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She said that every other day they try making a call to her but the phone has remained off ever since.
“At times we even wake up in the night and try to make a call to her hoping that she will respond but all remains to be in vain. She has been off-line ever since she left home,” she said.
Ms. Njeri said that the girl was always jovial and just like her mother, she always brought happiness whenever they were together.
Since she was reported missing on December 10, 2022, concerns about her well-being followed an upward trajectory which saw the Scotland Yard’s Specialists Crime command take over the investigations.
Already, Mr. Mark Moodie, 54, who hails from Woolwich in Southeast London is in police custody over the disappearance.
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Police believe that he was the last man who was seen in the company of the Kenyan lady whose disappearance brought distress to her family. His case will be handled by the Bromley Magistrates’ Court.
In a statement, Metropolitan Police who received the information about the missing girl said that Ms. Gitau’s family have been informed about the arrest of Mr. Moodie and continues to be supported by specialist officers.
Ms. Kigotho has been making appeals on various social media sites asking her daughter to go back home, in her appeal, she detailed how hard it is not having her at home, especially during the Christmas and New Year festivals.
“Maureen is much-loved and is such an important part of our lives. We are desperate to have her back home with us. If anyone knows where Maureen is, let us know. Maureen – please come home to us,” part of her appeal reads.
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