A family in Kenya is appealing for support to repatriate the body of their relative, who was killed in Ukraine while fighting for Russia.
According to BBC, Clinton Mogesa, 29, had left Kenya for a job in Qatar in 2024, only for his family to later learn that he had travelled to Russia.
On Saturday, Ukrainian officials reported the death of a person in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, during what they referred to as a “meat assault,” a phrase denoting heavy losses. This individual had been recruited in Qatar. Officials stated that Russian forces did not collect his remains, and he had passports belonging to two other Kenyan nationals.
The incident has raised growing concerns about the recruitment of Kenyans to take part in the conflict in Ukraine. The family of the deceased told Citizen TV that they had sold property to fund his trip to Qatar for job prospects.
“His death has shocked us,” his brother Joel Mogere told Citizen TV.
His mother, Mellen Moraa, mentioned that she was diabetic and that her son would cover the costs of her medication and look after her, expressing that she felt lost on what to do.
“I plead with the government for help,” she added.
Last month, the government announced that 18 Kenyans who were engaged in combat in Russia had been saved and brought back home. In November of the previous year, Kenya’s foreign minister stated that approximately 200 Kenyans were reported to be involved in the fighting for Russia, with recruitment networks remaining operational.