EMBU, Kenya — A Kenyan family is appealing to the government to intervene and facilitate the repatriation of the body of a General Service Unit (GSU) officer who was allegedly killed while fighting in the Russia-Ukraine War.
The family, speaking to Citizen TV, said the officer had previously been stationed at a GSU barracks in Embu before taking leave from the service.
They claim he later travelled to Russia after being promised a monthly payment of Sh400,000.
According to his mother, the officer was recruited into the Russian army by an unidentified Russian national. She said she personally escorted him to the airport.
“We took him to the airport on a Monday. When we arrived, we found many police officers who were in the company of one Russian,” she said.
The family maintained that he had been in communication with them for more than three months while in the war zone.
However, on January 28, a colleague reportedly informed them that he had been killed by an explosive while in active duty.
“We were talking with him for more than three months, and he told me that all his belongings had been destroyed. Then on January 28, we were informed that they were killed by an explosive,” the mother said.
Before his death, she added, he had indicated that his identification documents, including his ID and passport, had been destroyed in the conflict.
Now, the family says it is struggling to obtain confirmation of his death or recover his remains. The mother appealed for any form of evidence that would offer closure.
“I just want a confirmation, maybe a shoe or a cloth, so that we may bury it. It will be better than his body and belongings just being left there,” she said.
Embassy Warnings Over Recruitment
The case comes amid renewed warnings from the Embassy of Kenya in Moscow, which cautioned Kenyans against travelling to Russia for employment through unverified channels.
In a statement dated February 15, the embassy advised job seekers to avoid recruitment through social media platforms, messaging applications, or unlicensed agencies. It also warned against travelling on tourist visas for employment purposes.
Kenyans already residing in the Russian Federation, Belarus, or Kazakhstan were urged to register with the embassy to ease access to consular assistance.
“The Embassy is working with authorities in both countries to address emerging fraudulent recruitment networks and urges all those seeking jobs abroad to verify before finding themselves in circumstances beyond control,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the Embassy of Russia in Kenya has dismissed allegations linking it to the recruitment of Kenyans to fight in Ukraine.
