The Kenya Wildlife Service has confirmed the identification of the body of Samuel Macharia Wanjohi, who has been missing while trekking on Mt. Kenya for close to three weeks. He used to work as a porter.
In a statement issued on Saturday, KWS said Wanjohi was last seen on December 23, 2025, while hiking along the Sirimon-Shipton track within Mt. Kenya National Park.
According to the wildlife organization, a missing person case was reported on the same day, which prompted an emergency response from its Mountain Search and Rescue Unit. In this operation, there was collaboration between KWS experienced rangers, rescue teams, and members of the National Police Service, which used air surveillance and ground patrol techniques to sweep across the vast mountains.
“Immediately upon receipt of the report on December 23, 2025, KWS responded by mobilizing the Mountain Search and Rescue Unit, in accordance with its mandate to ensure the safety of the visitors,” the service responded, in addition to filing a report at the Chogoria Police Station.
Search parties extended their coverage to several high-altitude and inaccessible regions in the mountain range including Shipton Camp, Austrian Hut, Mackinder’s Valley, Sendeyo, Hinde Valley, Mintos, and Timau Route.
The operation was carried out under challenging conditions, with rescuers struggling with weather, terrain, and poor visibility, which contributed to slowing down the process of searching. The search process continued until Thursday, January 9, 2026, when Wanjohi’s body was discovered at Hinde Valley at a height of approximately 4,300 metres above sea level, away from the track.
One of these, named Wanjohi, with 15 years of experience as a porter and guide, was accompanying a group of seven climbers comprised of other guides, porters, and two Japanese tourists. They had departed Nanyuki town early in the morning of December 23rd, entering the park through Sirimon Gate.
However, between Old Moses Camp and Shipton’s Camp, Wanjohi went missing under unclear circumstances. Valuables from the lost hiker were later found along the route, raising concerns about the nature of the disappearance.
In the statement issued, KWS conveyed its sympathy to the affected family and the mountain community.
“KWS wishes to convey its heartfelt sympathy to family, friends, fellow porters, guides, and the whole mountain community of Mt. Kenya at this moment of mourning,” the agency stated. The discovery means the end of an agonizing search that had involved climbers, guides, and conservation officers alike, once again pointing out the risks that Mt Kenya’s terrain and weather pose.
