Alabama family says call police if missing grandfather from Kenya found
CALERA, Ala. (WIAT) — The wife of a missing 72-year-old grandfather from Kenya is holding out hope her husband will be found.
'We are praying, and we are so hopeful that he's going to get back home,' Elizabeth Waithaka said.
As of Monday, Reuben Waithaka has been missing for more than four days after growing confused and leaving his son's home in the Timberline subdivision in Calera.
Calera police received a tip late Saturday night that Reuben Waithaka may have been spotted in Cullman. Celera Police Chief David Hyche said he's hoping Reuben Waithaka is out of the area after their search of private property over several days didn't turn up anything.
Police said he was given two rides that they know of. One was to the Chevron gas station across the street from the Timberline subdivision entrance.
The family believes he's still out there and is pleading with the public not to give him any more rides but to call police instead.
'If he asks for one more ride, please just distract him until you call the police,' said Emily Barua, the daughter of Reuben Waithaka.
Barua said she and her husband drove to Birmingham on Sunday to look for her dad.
'Went to Birmingham, looked around the shelter, asked a few people at the Amtrak station, and we went to the jail,' Barua said.
She said they also searched the area around the Greyhound bus station, where she saw people sleeping and checked to make sure he wasn't one of them. She said the people were very helpful but told them that they had not seen him.
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After an extensive search led by Calera police and fire departments and other agencies over four days on private property off Highway 25, the family believes someone else may have given him a ride.
'We don't want him to go any farther,' Barua said. 'So we are hoping that somebody can just distract him and call 911 until we bring him home.'
Reuben Waithaka and his wife had flown to the U.S. from Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday to be here for their firstborn grandson's graduation from Calera High School on Tuesday night.
'I'm the firstborn grandson, and so it's a special moment, especially in African culture,' Bryon Waithaka said.
He said his faith and his family are his anchor at this difficult time.
'I just know God has a plan that he's safe and sound,' Byron Waithaka said. 'Hopeful that somebody will show us the way.'
Byron Waithaka, who is graduating with honors, still plans to walk across the stage Tuesday.
Anyone with who may have seen Reuben Waithaka is asked to contact Calera police at 205-668-3505 or call 911.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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