Lilian Nyambura Mbugua was home tonight with her family, almost one week after she disappeared over Christmas while on holiday at her family’s home in Gikono, Kabati, Murang’a County, on December 23, 2024.
Following an intense search led by her family members, as well as detectives and police officers from Murang’a South Constituency, she was ultimately “found safe” at a filling station in Maragua Town, about 50 kilometres from her home, after reportedly requesting one of the petrol station attendants for a phone to call her mother.
“Upon arriving at the scene, we found her standing near the petrol station looking confused, tired and weak. She appeared to be in distress,” George Njuguna, her uncle and family spokesperson, told the press.
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“We took her to Maragua Police Station to report and later took her to Maragua Level Four Hospital for evaluation and first aid,” he added.
The search for Lilian, 28, had drawn national attention and led to rampant speculation on social media that she had been kidnapped, owing to the fact that she is the brand manager of East African Breweries Limited (EABL), a regional leader in beverage alcohol manufacturing and branding, and that similar high-profile cases often ended in tragedy, such as that of Willis Ayieko, the Wells Fargo HR Manager who was abducted and gruesomely murdered in October.
“We are in touch with her employer, and she is set to be taken to Nairobi for further medical attention as police continue to probe the incident,” her uncle told reporters.
In an early news conference on Tuesday, Murang’a South Deputy County Commissioner Gitonga Murungi stated that investigations into her disappearance had begun. However, he projected that it would be challenging since Lilian, during the eight nights she was missing, had no phone or any other electronic device for police to retrieve GPS data or assess call details, caller information, phone numbers, and area codes to track her past movements.
“She walked out of her mother’s compound, leaving behind her car, two laptops, two phones, and other personal effects. She was dressed casually, wearing only a red dress, a sky-blue sweater, a black and white headscarf, and slippers,” her uncle confirmed.
The family stated that more details would be shared with the media once the medical report is out and after Lilian has recorded her statement with the authorities.
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