Kenya’s Veteran Mountain Guide Disappears While Leading Japanese Tourists
A family in Katheri Village, Meru County, is suffering an agonizing wait as their loved one remains missing for over two weeks after disappearing on Mount Kenya.
Samwel Macharia, a 35-year-old veteran mountain guide, disappeared without a trace while taking two Japanese visitors on a climbing adventure via the Sirimon route.
The inexplicable absence has perplexed his relatives, coworkers, friends, and rescue teams, since searches have yielded no results.
Macharia had been serving as a porter alongside his brother on the expedition when he mysteriously vanished.
His personal things were eventually found along the trail, adding to the mystery surrounding his location.
“We were together, and suddenly he disappeared. I have tried to look for him on this mountain for about three trips, but I still haven’t seen him,” his brother revealed.
Family agonises as Mt Kenya guide goes missing.#PDUpdates pic.twitter.com/ULmHTZcP1G
— PEOPLE DAILY (@PeopleDailyKe) January 7, 2026
When the brother arrived at camp and saw that Macharia was not on the squad, he immediately contacted authorities.
A relative emphasized the strange nature of the disappearance, saying that climbers rarely leave someone behind without notice.
“We can’t say how he disappeared because when we climb a mountain, you can just leave someone behind, but when people were arriving at the camp, Macharia was not part of the entire team,” the relative stated.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has opened an investigation into the event. However, they stated that Macharia was not one of their employees.
Duncan Wanyama, KWS Communication Officer, noted that the service works closely with local community guides to take tourists around locations where natural habitats and wildlife live with humans.
“These community guides are trained and vetted to ensure they meet our safety standards while providing authentic local experiences to visitors,” Wanyama noted.
When a guide or ranger goes missing in Kenya, a swift and coordinated search and rescue operation is conducted, involving KWS, police, the DCI, private entities, and, on occasion, local volunteers.
ALSO READ:
- Rogue Motorist Harasses Female Police Officer, NPS Issues Statement
- KRA Clarifies Tracking Kenyans’ Phone Transactions, Lists Targets
- Over 50 Police Recruits Discontinued From Training At Kiganjo
- REVEALED: Countries Exploiting Kenyans With Fraudulent Recruitment [LIST]
- NTSA Issues New Data On Driving Licenses, Urges Applicants To Track Progress
The disappearance further contributes to a rising trend of worrying cases involving guides and rangers in Kenya’s protected areas.
In 2020, a tour guide named Joseph Mwangi and three university students went missing in the Aberdare Forest during a hiking excursion.
They were found alive but exhausted shortly after the search operation was launched.
In August 2021, KWS sought information on senior ranger Francis Isaac Awuor Oyaro, an assistant warden who disappeared while on leave from Marsabit National Park.
He was last seen after alighting from a KWS van in Nanyuki to travel home to Nakuru.
Kenya’s Veteran Mountain Guide Disappears While Leading Japanese Tourists
