Florence Wanza Munyao, 45, is believed to have been abducted by a Congolese armed group following her reported involvement in a military dispute in the area.
The seasoned truck driver from Machakos County, Kenya, has been missing since August 27, 2024. Munyao is believed to have been abducted by Congolese militia forces while navigating through a conflict-ridden area. The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a Congolese opposition group, has pointed fingers at the FDLR militia, alleging their involvement in the kidnapping of the Kenyan national in Kiseguro, North Kivu. With nearly two decades of experience in the trucking industry, Munyao serves as the primary breadwinner for her immediate and extended family.
Her disappearance has left her loved ones in a state of despair, prompting them to make impassioned appeals for government intervention. Kamwethya, a relative, expresses the family’s initial optimism regarding government assistance. Joseph Ngei, Munyao’s brother, highlights the severe impact on the family’s well-being, emphasizing their struggle to meet basic needs and educational expenses in her absence. The incident has garnered attention from local leaders, with Parliamentary Service Commission Commissioner Johnson Muthama reaching out to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi for urgent action.
“I am asking the Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who also serves as the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, to urgently secure the release of Grace Wanza Munyao, a Kenyan citizen, and truck driver who was kidnapped by the FDLR, one of Kinshasa’s coalition forces, on August 27, 2024,” said Muthama.
The Kenyan government has acknowledged the situation with Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu assuring that appropriate measures are being taken to secure Munyao’s release. The abduction has elicited responses from various regional actors including the M23 rebel group which condemns the act as a violation of the ceasefire agreement in eastern DRC. M23 Spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka accuses multiple parties of breaching the ceasefire and calls for international intervention to safeguard ongoing peace efforts.
May she be found safe and…
May she be found safe and sound. But why is she the sole breadwinner of the family? This constant narrative that domestic relationships are transactional is worrying, no love being reflected just the economic aspect, being seen as breadwinner, come back we need your money more than we need or appreciate you. Why can’t the adult brother or adult extended family also not support her that she has to risk such journeys. May she be found and may her career flourish and be void of such dangers at the expense of her life.
Gideon… exactly no love…
Gideon… exactly no love just worried about how they will fair without her financial support.
I hope she is rescued and returns safely