Former KVDA Director’s Remains Exhumed: 12-Year Mystery Unravels as Homicide Police Conduct Shallow Grave Operation
The two-hour operation was carried out by homicide police officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, Iten police station,
Under the supervision of homicide police, medical officers from Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret conducted the exhumation of Sylvester Tubei, the former KVDA managing director, at Kabiemit village in Keiyo South Constituency yesterday. Mr. Tubei had been missing for the past 12 years.
The remains of Silvanus Tubei, the former Managing Director of the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA), who mysteriously disappeared 12 years ago, were exhumed from a shallow grave at his residence in Keiyo South, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
The two-hour operation was carried out by homicide police officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, Iten police station, following a court order obtained to excavate the site.
The exhumation, conducted under strict security, drew the attention of hundreds of Kabiemit villagers who gathered at the scene early in the morning. The deceased’s home, which had been vacant since his disappearance, became the focal point of the investigation.
Police officers, deployed at the KVDA official’s former residence since Wednesday, had to secure the area as curious onlookers attempted to approach the site. Silvanus Tubei, who lived alone after separating from his wife, vanished without a trace on September 12, 2012.
The grim discovery unfolded when a gardener, working on the property three days ago, unearthed a blanket while digging, leading to the revelation of a complete adult human skeleton in a shallow grave near the house. The clothing found in the grave matched what Tubei was wearing on the morning of his disappearance, prompting the family to report the distressing find.
The scene of crime officers transported the remains to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret for a DNA test to confirm their identity and ascertain the circumstances surrounding Tubei’s demise.
Albert Tubei, the deceased’s nephew, expressed confidence that the remains discovered belong to his uncle. Keiyo South Sub County Police Commandant Abdullahi Dahir announced that the decomposed body would undergo a DNA test to confirm the identity of Tubei, who was reported missing by family members 12 years ago.
The woman with whom the deceased was cohabiting after separating from his wife was considered a prime suspect, although the lack of evidence hindered any immediate charges. Silvanus Tubei had overseen major projects, including the construction of the multibillion-shilling Turkwel Dam along the West Pokot and Turkana border, and the KVDA’s 14-storey headquarters in Eldoret.
The investigation into Tubei’s disappearance and subsequent tragic discovery continues, with the DNA test expected to provide conclusive evidence regarding the identity of the exhumed remains.
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