30 years of agony for family of AP officer who disappeared mysteriously

When he left his family in Timboiywo village in Baringo County over 30 years ago for his work station, Jackson Tarus Chepsergon, an Administrative Police (AP) officer was upbeat of joining them a month later.

However, this was not the case as the officer who was attached to Mukumuini chief’s office in the then Kipkelion District allegedly disappeared during the height of 1992 ethnic clashes.

His family is living in agony and is calling on the government to assist them trace his whereabouts.

In an interview with AVDelta News at their home, the officer’s wife Mary Chepsergon complained that her efforts to get help from the authorities have proved futile.

"The children keep asking me about their father’s whereabouts. If he is dead just bring us his body home we bury him to put an end to our sleepless nights,” said a teary Mrs Chepsergon.

The aggrieved mother said that immediately after her husband disappeared, his workmates visited the home and allegedly took away some of his documents including payslips claiming that it was part of their investigations into his disappearance.

"I now regret for giving out the documents as they may have been used to fleece his accounts. Where is he then, we just want to see him,” she wondered.

She said that her four(4) children no longer go to school as she was not in a position to cater for their school fees.

“They have resorted to assisting people as househelps yet they are supposed to be in school studying like their friends,” said the mother amid sobs.

She said that she had sold all the family’s property to raise the money to look for her husband.

Mrs Chepsergon,60, said that the late Kabarnet mayor Philemon Chelugui took her to AP Headquarters in Nairobi in the early 90s where she was assured that her plight will be addressed but this is yet to be fulfilled.

She said that her mother-in-law Sogome Chepsergon,82, is yet to come to terms with her son’s disappearance.

“She has been affected a lot. She hardly eats anything. We fear this will affect her health,”said Mrs Chepsergon.

She described her missing husband as a responsible and an ambitious man who always provided for the family.

Mr Chepsergon’s eldest daughter Mercy Jepkorir Tarus who was aged seven and in class two in Kipkutuny primary school when her father went missing called on well-wishers assist her clear her studies.

She dropped out at form one at Kaptarakwa Mixed Day Secondary School two years ago due to lack of school fees.

“We miss our father a lot. He was a very caring and jovial man. Can someone please hear our cry?” pleaded Mercy.

Contacted for comment, Baringo County Police Commander Julius Kiragu promised that his office will look into the matter.

"We will scrutinize our records to ascertain if the family reported the officer's disappearance. 30 years is a very long time. We will however do all within our means to assist the family including liaising with the officer’s last work station to ascertain his whereabouts,” Mr Kiragu told AVDelta News on phone.

According to Kenyan Law, if someone goes missing for seven years, the family can write to the Attorney General where death can be declared.