A court in Nakuru on Monday heard that missing fisherman Brian Odhiambo was in the same location as four Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers on the day he vanished, based on mobile phone data presented by a telecommunications expert.

Hassan Salado, a data analyst and the sixth witness in the case, told the court that phone records placed Odhiambo’s handset at Kivumbini in Nakuru East on January 18, 2025, between 10:00 am and 10:55 am, the same place and time where the phones of the four KWS officers were also active.

“On the 18th of January 2025, the location of the missing person and the suspects are the same, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:55 a.m.,” Salado testified.

Salado said he received three call data requests from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nakuru East between January 10 and 21.

The requests focused on Odhiambo’s number and those of the four KWS rangers; Alexander Lorogoi, Isaac Odhiambo, Michael Wabukala, and Evans Kipsang.

He added that the phone used by the missing man was registered under his wife’s name, Alvy Okello.

During cross-examination, the defense questioned the reliability of the call records, pointing to a log showing that Odhiambo’s phone received a call while in Karunga at 10:06 pm that same day.

“Confirm that at 22:06, the missing person received a phone call,” lawyer Diana Sigei challenged.

“That is a forwarded call... it is just a continuation of Karunga. The phone was still located at Karunga,” Salado responded.

In a separate testimony, Emmanuel Koech, an assistant director at KWS, was unable to explain why there were no official KWS records of any arrests made on the day Odhiambo was last seen.

This contradicted earlier evidence from the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Bondeni Police Station, who testified that nine individuals had been brought in after an operation targeting illegal fishing.

“It is not indicating any arrest here... I have not seen any record of any arrested person on that day,” Koech said. “It is supposed to be recorded. There were no records, and that is not proper.”

Koech admitted that six KWS officers linked to the operation; Francis Wachira, Abdulrahman Ali Sudi, Isaac Ochieng, Evans Kimaiyo, Michael Wabukala, and Alexander Lorogoi were still serving in the agency.

Lawyers representing Odhiambo’s family questioned Koech over KWS’s failure to provide internal records or properly coordinate with police during the investigation.

“So there are records at Bondeni Police Station, but no records at KWS? Is that the position?” asked lawyer Kipkoech Ngetich. “You’ve not called for the records, and it does not break your conscience that you haven’t, even when coming to testify in court?”

“You are telling the court that KWS operates outside the oversight framework? KWS is under IPOA supervision,” added Abuya Mogendi, another lawyer for the family.

The court adjourned the hearing to September 1, when four more witnesses are expected to testify.