Family Renews Search for Kenyan Grandfather Missing in America for a Year
A 72-year-old Kenyan national, Reuben Waithaka, has been missing in Alabama for one year.
Waithaka disappeared after visiting the United States in May 2025 to attend his grandson’s graduation from Calera High School. He was last seen on 15 May at around 11:30 a.m. entering a petrol station along Highway 25 in Calera. He was wearing a blue and white plaid shirt and khaki trousers.
Surveillance footage recorded his movements shortly before he vanished. Witnesses later reported seeing him crawl under a fence and walk onto nearby hunting land, but no further trace has been found.
The Calera Police Department has carried out extensive searches since his disappearance. Officers have used K9 units, drones and helicopters to search the surrounding woodland.
Police Chief David Hyche said the circumstances were unusual, noting that missing persons cases are typically resolved quickly. He suggested that Waithaka may have been suffering from dementia and could have become disoriented in unfamiliar surroundings. Authorities say he had no identification, money or support at the time.
Detective Blake Littleton confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing. Police continue to follow leads and work with federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but no evidence has yet been found to explain what happened.
Waithaka’s family has continued to appeal for information. His son, Willie Barua, has repeatedly asked the public to come forward with any relevant details, saying the family is seeking closure. Waithaka’s wife, Elizabeth, has returned to Kenya to manage family matters, while his absence was noted during the graduation ceremony he travelled to attend.
The Calera Police Foundation has offered a $1,000 reward for information that could assist in locating him. Foundation president Marc Jones said the reward is intended to support both the investigation and the family’s search for answers.
The case remains unresolved, with no confirmed sighting since the day of his disappearance.
