It was supposed to be a routine errand—a quick dash to the shops to buy ream paper before the school term began. Instead, it became the beginning of a nightmare. Jezreel Okoth Junior, a 16-year-old student at Sawagongo High School, has been missing for seven days, leaving a family in Kisumu torn apart by anguish and unanswered questions.

Jezreel was last seen on Tuesday, January 6, the very day schools across the country were reopening. His father, Oscar Ogutu, recalls a bright, eager boy who was excited to return to class. "He asked for money to buy the stationery required by the school," Ogutu told TUKO.co.ke, his voice cracking with emotion. "He walked out the gate wearing his cream trousers and a red jumper. He never came back."

The Trail Goes Cold

The disappearance highlights a terrifying gap in child safety protocols. While primary school children are often escorted, high schoolers like Jezreel are expected to navigate the city alone. In the chaos of "Back to School" traffic, a teenager can vanish into the crowd without a trace. Police have traced his phone signal to a mast near the Kondele flyover, but the trail ends there.

• The Community Mobilizes: The family has printed hundreds of posters and scoured hospitals and mortuaries across the county. "We are living in hell," says his mother, Caroline Atieno. "Every phone call makes my heart stop. Is it him? Is he safe?"
• A Call to Action: The case has sparked a conversation about the safety of students during the school rush. Parents are urging the Ministry of Education to review the list of mandatory items like ream paper, which force students into bustling commercial centers unsupervised.

"Come Home, Son"

As the days turn into a week, the hope of a safe return battles with the dread of the unknown. The family has appealed to anyone with information to come forward (0727260647). For Jezreel, a promising education has been paused by a mystery that has gripped a neighborhood and broken a home.