The body of a missing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams supervisor was discovered nailed inside a makeshift coffin on Thursday, January 12, three weeks after he was reported missing.
The 45-year-old Computer Studies teacher, Joseph Gathogo, from Muhoya Secondary School was found in a coffin made of concrete slabs and covered with cardboard.
Flowers, a black flag, scrolls written in a foreign language, and a cow horn were placed near the boat-shaped coffin.
Muhoya Assistant Chief Martha Wanjiru confirmed his disappearance shortly after supervising KCSE exams.
Neighbors only learned of Gathogo’s disappearance after his kin arrived at the homestead on Saturday last week in search of him.
According to locals, the missing person report was filed on December 22, 2022, after his sisters expressed concern.
Gathogo’s remains were discovered inside his living room after a foul odour began to emanate from his home, prompting the homestead’s caretaker, William Gitau, to notify local police, who quickly broke into the deceased’s house.
Gitau, the homestead’s caretaker, says he last saw the deceased, whom he describes as a loner who kept mostly to himself, on December 19, 2022.
“You could only find him outside whenever he was going to the shop,” Gitau said.
“The police broke into the house and found the teacher’s naked body inside a three-foot coffin in his sitting room.”
According to Nyeri County Police Commander Steve Oloo, investigations into the bizarre incident are still ongoing.
The deceased’s body has been moved to the Nyeri Provincial General Hospital mortuary pending a post-mortem.
