Noah Mwivanda “disconnected” the phone. On Whatsapp the photo of the Kenyan regional commander who had given hope for a happy ending, has turned gray. Blocked number. The country’s authorities no longer speak. Silvia Romano was kidnapped on Tuesday 20 November by three “armed and dangerous” men, and her fate is currently shrouded in silence.

In the first eight days of the disappearance of the 23-year-old Milanese co-operative, a series of encouraging news had followed, coming from more than reliable sources: “Here we are, you will have good news soon”. And then nothing.

The Milanese co-worker of Africa Milele is somewhere between Chakama, the village where she worked, in the Malindian hinterland, and the Tana river, heading north, towards the feared Somalia. This is an area of ​​over 35 thousand square meters, of dense and impenetrable forest, even to drones. Nature is bad here for those who want to cross it.
The 20,000 inhabitants of the Dakatcha Forest, where the braids of the extension that Silvia had made two days before the assault, and the motorbike of one of the kidnappers were well known: every year at least ten people lose their lives for the lethal bite of a snake. There are antidotes, but they are expensive. The prerogative of the rich, expatriates and Kenyan residents, but inaccessible to poor people.

The Protestant Church and the Muslim community on the coast of the country united on Sunday to pray for Silvia’s release: “May God move the heart of the kidnappers,” said the Imam of Malindi.

Kenya is concerned about what has happened. Especially because this is one of the most popular areas for tourists. Christmas and New Year seem armored. He hasn’t deleted anyone. But at the Seven Islands Resort in Watamu, which works mainly with Italian tour operators, a bad blow came via email: “We cancel the March convention (170 people, ed) for recent events