Family appeals for help as taxi driver disappears after customer request

Pius Ngugi, a 32-year-old father of two, disappeared on December 5 after receiving a ride request from a customer through an online taxi-hailing application.

His mobile phone was last traced to the Gilan Estate area of Athi River in Machakos County before it was switched off. His vehicle, a Toyota Vitz, has also not been recovered.

Ngugi’s wife, Rahab Wanjiku, says the family’s life has been thrown into turmoil since his disappearance, describing the last moments they spoke as normal and uneventful.

“Alipigiwa simu akiwa nyumbani ndipo akatoka akaingia kazini normally. Kufikia saa tisa mchana nilimpigia kujulia hali na alikuwa sawa, akaendelea na kazi yake,” Wanjiku said.

She says she began to sense that something was wrong later that night when her husband’s phone went off at around 11pm—an unusual occurrence.

“Hajawai zima simu hata akiingia kwa nyumba. Maybe akitoka kazi late huweka flight mode, but haijawai kuwa off. Hapo ndio nilisense danger,” she added.

Ngugi failed to return home the following morning. With his phone still off, the family alerted relatives and friends before reporting the matter at Kabete Police Station, where detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) launched inquiries.

According to Wanjiku, investigators informed the family that Ngugi’s last known phone signal was traced to Athi River.

“DCI walisema signal ya mwisho ilionekana Gilan Estate, Athi River. Tumezunguka hospitali za umma Nairobi, Machakos Level 4, Shalom Hospital, hata Kangundo kumtafuta,” she said.

Police say several people who interacted with Ngugi before his disappearance have been questioned. Detectives are now awaiting critical information from taxi-hailing companies, which they believe could help reconstruct his final trip and trace his movements.

Ngugi joined the taxi-hailing industry seven months ago after acquiring the Toyota Vitz to support his young family living in the Kawangware 56 area.

As investigations continue, the family is urging anyone with information that could help locate Ngugi or his vehicle to report to the nearest police station.