Police have arrested a military officer following the mysterious disappearance of his 31-year-old wife and her two children.

Authorities say, Peter Mugure, a Nanyuki-based military officer in Kenya would be produced in court on Monday, November 18, 2019, as detectives intensify investigations into the whereabouts of the three after their October 26, 2019, disappearances.

Mugure, who is being held at Nanyuki Police Station, was arrested on Friday, November 15, after recording a statement in regard to his kinpersons’ disappearances.

The DCI says that Mugure is being treated as the chief suspect in the disappearances of Joyce Syombua, 31, her children: Shanice, 10, and Prince Michael, 5.

It has been established that Syombua, Shanice and Michael, who stay in Kayole, Nairobi, visited Mugure at his Nanyuki barracks residence on October 25, upon Mugure’s invitation.

Police say that Syombua and Mugure, who had been in an on-and-off relationship for 13 years, had an agreement that Syombua allows the children to regularly visit Mugure. That agreement was arrived at after a Nairobi court granted Syombua sole custody of the children.

According to Syombua’s mother, Maua Malombe, her daughter’s relationship with Mugure was turbulent by the time she went missing.

Call and text records show that on October 25 and 26, Syombua regularly communicated with her female friend, telling her that Mugure had taken the children out, but did not return home with them. When Syombua reportedly asked where Mugure had left the children, he allegedly told her that he dropped them at his friend’s place so that they [Syombua and Mugure] could have a private time to iron out their differences.

Syombua’s friend would later call her at 7pm on October 26, but her phone line was not reachable.

Syombua’s husband, Mugure, told police that he escorted the mother-of-two and the kids to a Nanyuki bus stage on October 26, where they boarded a Nairobi-bound matatu.

According to the suspect, that was the last time he interacted with his family.

Syombua’s mother, Maua Malombe, now wants DCI boss George Kinoti to personally take up the matter.