Kenya, 10 January 2026 – A painstaking, multi-agency search operation on Mt. Kenya has ended in tragedy after the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) recovered the body of a porter who went missing during a trek late last year.
In a statement sent to newsrooms early Saturday, KWS said the body of Samuel Macharia Wanjohi was found off the trail in Hinde Valley on Friday at an altitude of about 4,300 metres above sea level.
Wanjohi had been reported missing on 23 December 2025, while trekking along the Sirimon–Shipton route within Mt Kenya National Park.
“Immediately upon receipt of the report on 23 December 2025, KWS activated its Mountain Search and Rescue Unit, in line with its mandate to ensure visitor safety and emergency response within protected mountain ecosystems,” the agency said.
KWS said the disappearance was formally reported at Chogoria Police Station under OB No. 30/24/2/2025, paving the way for a coordinated search involving multiple agencies and the local mountain community.
According to the wildlife agency, the search covered vast and challenging terrain, including Shipton Camp, Austrian Hut, Mackinder’s Valley, Sendeyo, Hinde Valley, Mintos and the Timau Route.
The operation combined aerial surveillance with extensive ground patrols by experienced rangers and a specialized Mountain Search and Rescue Team.
“KWS mounted an intensive, multi-agency day search and rescue operation,” the statement said, noting that teams worked under “extreme weather conditions, rugged terrain, and poor visibility”.