A Kenyan family is appealing for answers and assistance to repatriate the body of a relative who was killed in Ukraine while fighting for Russia, amid growing concern over the recruitment of Africans into the war.
Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, 29, left Kenya in 2024 to take up work in Qatar, but later informed his family that he was heading to Russia. On Saturday, Ukrainian authorities said Mogesa died in what they described as a “human wave” assault—tactics in which Russia is accused of deploying large numbers of poorly trained recruits to overwhelm Ukrainian forces, often at heavy cost.
According to Ukrainian officials, Mogesa was killed in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, after being recruited following his stint in Qatar. They said Russian forces did not recover his body and that he was found carrying travel documents belonging to two other Kenyan nationals.
His death comes as anxiety mounts in Kenya over reports that citizens are being lured abroad with promises of well-paid jobs, only to be coerced into military service in Russia. Vincent Okemwa, Mogesa’s cousin, said the family initially struggled to accept the news. He told Afrovera Newsday that the first information came through a colleague who had a relative working in Russia, before the reports became public.
Okemwa said Mogesa had informed the family when he moved from Qatar to Russia and that they remained in contact while he underwent three weeks of training. Communication later stopped, with the last contact dated October 28, 2025. “After that, we heard nothing,” he said.
The family is now “in deep distress,” Okemwa added. He said Mogesa’s father had sold land to finance his son’s travel to Qatar, and the young man was seen as the family’s main hope for a better future. “I don’t know how to explain it, but things are not well,” he said. “He had good plans for the family, and now everything has collapsed.”
Joel Mogere, another relative, told Citizen TV in Kenya that Mogesa’s death had shaken the family, describing him as the breadwinner and the foundation of their livelihood. His mother, Mellen Moraa, who suffers from diabetes, said her son used to buy her medication and care for her. “I am asking the government to help me,” she said.
Last month, the Kenyan government said 18 nationals who had been fighting in Russia were rescued and repatriated. However, the authorities have not confirmed any deaths of Kenyan citizens in Ukraine. In November 2025, Kenya’s foreign affairs minister said nearly 200 Kenyans were known to be fighting for Russia, warning that recruitment efforts were continuing.
Human rights group Vocal Africa said last week it was tracking cases of at least 18 Kenyans believed to have died or gone missing, adding that the true number could be higher. Similar warnings have been issued across Africa, where young people are reportedly being targeted with promises of lucrative employment in Russia, only to end up conscripted.
Ukrainian intelligence estimates that more than 1,400 people from 36 African countries have been recruited to fight for Russia. Ukraine has previously faced criticism for attempting to recruit foreign fighters as well, but has repeatedly warned that anyone fighting for Russia will be treated as an enemy combatant unless they surrender.
On Saturday, Ukrainian intelligence again cautioned foreign nationals against travelling to Russia or accepting job offers there, particularly informal or illegal work, saying such moves carry “real risks of forced deployment to frontline units with minimal training and slim chances of survival.”
