One Year Later: Family Renews Appeal for Missing Kenyan Grandfather in Alabama
Willie Barua and his family mark one year since his 72-year-old father Reuben Waithaka vanished in Alabama six days before his grandson's graduation. Police have offered a $1,000 reward and continue searching with drones
Willie Barua's voice breaks when he speaks about his father. "If you picked up my dad and you think something happened, please, we need closure," he pleaded in a tearful appeal this week, marking one year since Reuben Waithaka disappeared without a trace in Alabama.
Waithaka, who was 72 at the time, had flown from Kenya to witness his grandson Byron's graduation. On May 15, 2025—just six days before the ceremony—he walked into a Speed Trac petrol station on Highway 25 in Calera at around 11:30 a.m., wearing a blue and white plaid shirt and khaki trousers. Surveillance footage captured him entering the station. That was the last confirmed sighting.
A Year of Unanswered Questions
Calera Police Department investigators have conducted extensive searches using K9 units, drones, and helicopters across the forested areas adjacent to Highway 25. They've found nothing. According to Police Chief Hyche, the long flight from Kenya had left Waithaka dehydrated and disoriented. "He didn't have his wallet, passport, or money with him. That's what makes this so strange. He was totally unfamiliar with this country," Hyche told reporters.
An eyewitness reported seeing Waithaka crawling under a fence and walking into a hunting property near the gas station. Officers regularly check with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to confirm whether immigration agents might have picked him up, but so far there's been no trace.
"I don't know how to say it, but it's been a tough year. Things have never been the same. Our family is holding onto hope…I will not give up on my dad," Willie said.
Reward Offered
The Calera Police Foundation has posted a $1,000 (KSh 130,000) reward for information leading to Waithaka's whereabouts. Willie Barua has asked anyone with information to contact the Calera Police Department. "We need closure. Please help us, and please keep us in your prayers," he said.
Waithaka's disappearance underscores the vulnerability of elderly visitors navigating unfamiliar environments abroad. For the family, the milestone anniversary brings renewed urgency but no new leads.
