Kenyan US Soldier Reported Missing in Massachusetts

A Kenyan serving in the United States Army has been missing since July 28, 2025.

Ms Cynthia Muchugia’s car was later found abandoned on Middlesex Street in Massachusetts. Ms Muchugia, 25, went silent and when relatives and close friends were unable to reach her, they raised concern, prompting a swift response from local law enforcement. Upon receiving the report, the Stow Police Department issued a statement appealing to the public for assistance and shared contact details for tips.

Cynthia Muchugia, 25, a Kenyan national serving in the US Army, has been missing since 28 July 2025. Her abandoned vehicle was discovered on Middlesex Street in Massachusetts, prompting immediate concern. Following failed attempts to contact her, relatives reported her disappearance to the Stow Police Department, which has initiated an active investigation. 

The department has made a public appeal for information regarding Ms Muchugia’s whereabouts, emphasising the grave concern for her wellbeing. Specific details of the investigation are yet to be disclosed by law enforcement officials. Ms Muchugia’s case resonates with the unresolved disappearance of Irene Gakwa, who vanished from Gillette, Wyoming, in February 2022. 

More than three years on, her fate remains unknown despite extensive searches and a criminal investigation. The distress of Ms Gakwa's family has been intensified by the conditional release of Nathan Hightman, 41, the primary suspect in her disappearance. 

In 2023, Hightman was convicted on three felony charges linked to financial crimes committed after Ms Gakwa's disappearance. He pleaded guilty to larceny and fraudulent use of her digital and financial accounts, including deleting her email, draining her bank account, and maxing out her credit card. 

Although originally sentenced to three to six years' imprisonment, Hightman was released from the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution on 28 March 2025, two years ahead of his projected discharge date. His parole, granted in October 2024, mandates participation in rehabilitation programmes. Kennedy Wainaina, Ms Gakwa’s elder brother, expressed significant disappointment with the parole process, noting that the family had not been notified of the hearing. 

“We had no clue that he was granted parole. We would have definitely attended to present the victim statements,” he told a local media outlet. 

Wainaina, residing over 1,600 miles from Gillette, was instrumental in assisting his sister’s relocation to the US in 2019. Since then, he has become a vocal advocate for justice, attending court sessions and collaborating with investigators. Yet, the circumstances surrounding Ms Gakwa's disappearance remain unresolved.

According to investigative records, Hightman claimed Ms Gakwa left their shared residence in a luxury vehicle, a statement that has not been verified. 

A 10-hour search of his residence by law enforcement, including FBI agents, ensued, and the property was subsequently sold. Evidence presented in court indicated that Ms Gakwa’s credit card was used to purchase items such as boots and a shovel shortly after she went missing. Her phone was also used to alter bank credentials and send misleading messages to her employer and family, suggesting she had relocated to Texas.

However, attempts to confirm her residence in San Antonio between March 2022 and August 2024 proved inconclusive, as the property owner listed in official records denied any knowledge of Ms Gakwa. Community-led search efforts across Wyoming have yielded no trace of her. Her father, Francis Kambu, speaking from Rongai in Kajiado County, Kenya, described the anguish of uncertainty surrounding his daughter’s fate. 

“She used to call frequently, but one day she told me her phone had accidentally fallen in water and that she would only be sending messages moving forward,” he recalled in a previous interview.

As Ms Muchugia’s disappearance remains under investigation, her family is hoping for swift action and transparency. Ms Gakwa’s relatives continue to endure the agonizing wait for answers, compounded by the knowledge that the man implicated in her disappearance is now free.