Written by Lisa Murimi
A Kenyan engineer working in South Sudan has escaped after spending over a week in captivity, according to reports from Juba.
Radio Tamazuj identified the survivor as Richard Matiangi, who was abducted on Wednesday, July 30 by an armed group in Morobo County, near the Democratic Republic of Congo border, about 200 kilometres from the capital, Juba.
Matiangi was travelling to Uganda with fellow Kenyan engineer James Kariuki and four South Sudanese youths when they were ambushed. The attackers reportedly shot Kariuki dead and set their vehicle on fire, leaving the Kenyan’s body inside.
The group had been en route to purchase construction materials for renovations at Holy Trinity Church’s primary school and parish. Following the attack, Matiangi and the South Sudanese companions were forced to walk for over seven hours through the bush to a rebel camp.
Four days later, one of the captors, identified as a rebel fighter, allegedly advised the hostages to flee. They trekked for miles before reaching Morobo Town, where they were spotted near a church during prayers, according to Isaac Batali, Chairperson of Holy Trinity Parish.
At least one assailant was killed in a pursuit by the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF). While the attackers reportedly wore SPLA–IO uniforms, their identities remain unconfirmed.
Matiangi was freed last week and is now escorting Kariuki’s body back to Kenya for burial.
This incident follows a string of deadly attacks on Kenyans in South Sudan, including an April 2021 ambush along the Juba–Nimule highway that left two truck drivers dead and others missing.
Despite insecurity, South Sudan continues to attract Kenyan job seekers, with an estimated 50,000 Kenyans migrating there between January and June 2024.
