The family of a Kenyan elderly man has issued an update after he went missing in the United States, days after he travelled about 8,200 miles to watch his first grandson graduate from high school in Alabama. Reuben Waithaka arrived from Kenya six days before the graduation.
Reports by CNN indicate that the 72-year-old arrived at his son’s house in Calera, Alabama, carrying sentimental gifts tucked in his suitcase.
The gifts included faded photos of his son’s childhood and matching African print shirts for himself, his son, and his grandson, which they never got to wear together.
According to his family, Waithaka walked out of his son’s house and vanished hours after he and his wife, Elizabeth Barua, landed in the U.S.
Despite the family reporting the incident to the police, creating posters, making online appeals, and obtaining CCTV footage of his last known sighting, the elderly man remains missing.
Granddaughter issues update on Reuben Waithaka
Taking to TikTok, Waithaka’s granddaughter Elaine Westry Njoki shared updates and appealed for prayers.
“My grandfather, Reuben Waithaka, has been missing since Wednesday, May 15. He was visiting from Kenya for my cousin’s high school graduation. It has been very difficult for my family and me, but we won’t give up. Please keep us in your prayers and share the word. Thank you for all the love and support,” her caption read.
One of her fans asked about her grandfather’s mental state. “Was he in a good state of mind? Why did he walk away? Why did the spouse go back to close the door instead of maintaining eyesight?” Nzioki Mativo asked.
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Njoki replied, “My cucu (grandmother) tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t listen, and no, he didn’t even know he was in America; he thought he was still in Kenya.”
She also confirmed that the family had checked with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without success.
His family, while speaking to CNN, revealed more about his last moments.
Last moments
A doorbell footage showed Waithaka leaving the house at 11:08 a.m. on the day he went missing dressed in khakis and a blue-and-white checkered shirt.
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About 30 minutes later, he was seen entering a gas station two miles away, where he waved to a store clerk, went into a restroom, and exited through the back door.
He later accepted two rides from motorists — one a neighbor who dropped him just a few houses down, and another from a DoorDash driver who left him at the gas station.
A resident later saw a man matching his description crawling under a gate into a wooded area nearby. Extensive searches by police, using drones, helicopters, dogs, and even heat-seeking cameras, have borne no fruits.
His phone later pinged in Frankfurt, suggesting that it may have been turned to airplane mode and making tracking difficult. Waithaka didn’t have his passport and had no U.S. dollars with him, complicating efforts to trace him further.
His son, overwhelmed with guilt, told CNN, “Maybe if I hadn’t invited them, my dad would still be with us.”
Meanwhile, his grandson Byron tried to remain strong during his graduation, saying, “I pray for him to stay safe.” Waithaka’s wife returned to Kenya in June, too heartbroken to speak publicly.
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PRAYING 🙏🏼 FOR SAFE outcome, however ANY CLOSURE is better than the UNKNOWN. I am in North Florida USA… have SHARE-posted on my FB profile in PUBLIC format. PRAYING ALL that see it will do the same, and SOMEHOW bring a joyous end to this story! Will be checking for updates daily!
My Heartfelt Response:
This is such a heartbreaking and tragic story — and in my honest opinion, one that should have never happened.
Why? I’m glad you asked.
Even if a loved one is familiar with the area, visits the U.S. two or three times a year, or seems independent… there’s no way I would ever feel comfortable allowing my mother, grandmother, or any elder to walk alone — not even for a few minutes — in a country that is not their home.
It’s not about control, it’s about protection.
We know how quickly moments can turn into mysteries. And as Black families, we carry generations of inherited concern — for our safety, for our dignity, for our elders being misunderstood, overlooked, or worse.
My prayers go out to Reuben Waithaka’s family. A celebration turned into a silence that echoes too loudly.
💔 His story deserves more attention.
We’re discussing this and more on our platform where we center Black stories that often go ignored.
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