Trans Nzoia: Mixed Emotions After Missing Son Found Alive 13 Months After Burial
A family from Bonde, located in Cherang’any Constituency, Trans Nzoia County, is experiencing a complex wave of emotions—relief, disbelief, and immense joy—following the miraculous discovery of their son, John Wanjala, who had been missing for over a year.
The boy, now 10 years old, was found alive months after the family had unknowingly buried the body of another child, mistakenly believing it was his.
The emotional journey of Benson and Susan Wanjala, John’s parents, is a profound story of hope, heartbreak, and resilience.
How Did the Family End Up Burying the Wrong Body?
In January 2024, the Wanjala family reported their son missing at Nyakinywa Police Station after he disappeared under unclear circumstances. A vigorous and wide-ranging search was immediately launched across the region. Despite their best efforts, no concrete leads surfaced regarding John’s whereabouts.
After two agonizing months of fruitless searching, the discovery of a decomposed body in River Nzoia appeared to provide a grim answer. The body, which had suffered significant deterioration, was in such a poor state that positive identification through visual means was impossible.
Faced with the harrowing task of closure, the Wanjala family visited the Kitale County Referral Hospital mortuary on May 28, 2024, to view the remains. During this visit, the majority of family members, weary and desperate for answers, accepted that the body belonged to John.
Source: UGC
However, Susan Wanjala, John’s mother, harbored deep doubts. She later recounted that an unshakable maternal instinct warned her that the body was not her son’s.
“From the first time I laid my eyes on that body, something told me it did not belong to John. Even while at the mortuary, my heart was convinced my son was still alive,” she emotionally narrated during an interview with TUKO.co.ke.
Nonetheless, the burden of grief and exhaustion led her husband, Benson, to make the painful decision to proceed with the burial, despite his wife’s misgivings.
“Despite my wife’s dissent, I pushed on because the pain was too much for us to bear,” he admitted.
In June 2024, a funeral ceremony was conducted, and the unidentified body was laid to rest, believed to be John’s. Yet Susan remained steadfast in her conviction that her son was still alive.
The Miraculous Discovery
Susan’s unwavering faith bore fruit in April 2025. On April 22, 2025, officials from Precious Kids Children’s Home in Kiminini alerted local authorities after one of the boys under their care claimed to hail from Bonde. The child provided specific details about his home and family, prompting immediate investigations.
When shown a portrait photograph of the boy, Susan immediately recognized him as her missing son. She rushed to the children’s home without delay. Upon seeing his mother, John ran towards her, embracing her tightly—a moment Susan described as profoundly emotional.
“To me, the discovery of my son was like the biblical prodigal son returning home. I was overwhelmed with joy, and tears of happiness streamed down my face,” Susan recounted.
The reunion has been celebrated not only by the family but also by the broader Bonde community, who had shared in the family’s grief and now share in their joy.
Legal Steps and Future Plans
Following the discovery, the Wanjala family petitioned for the exhumation of the body they had previously buried. Kitale Law Courts swiftly granted the request, recognizing the extraordinary circumstances. The exhumation was carried out on April 24, 2025.
The remains are currently being held at Kitale County Referral Hospital pending DNA testing. Authorities handling the case stated that the DNA results are crucial to establishing the true identity of the deceased child whose body was mistakenly buried as John Wanjala’s.
An officer involved in the investigation noted, “Our goal is to establish with certainty the identity of the exhumed body and to determine what happened.”
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for a large public celebration to officially welcome John back home. The family has expressed deep gratitude to all those who supported them throughout their ordeal and called for continued prayers as they await the DNA results and continue to support John’s reintegration after his long absence.
The astonishing turn of events serves as a powerful testament to the strength of a mother’s intuition and the enduring hope of a family that refused to give up.
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Trans Nzoia: Mixed Emotions After Missing Son Found Alive 13 Months After Burial
