- A family in Kasarani pleaded for help to repatriate the body of a police officer killed in the Russia-Ukraine War
- Peter Maina’s grieving mother said that he lost all his documents before his disappearance and eventual death
- The government warned against travelling to Russia through unverified channels amid rising concerns
Nancy Odindo is a Kenyan journalist at TUKO.co.ke with five years of experience covering politics, news, and features across digital and print media.
Nairobi: A family in Kasarani is appealing for help to repatriate the body of their 33-year-old kin, who was killed in the Russia-Ukraine War.
Source: Facebook
The deceased, Peter Maina Gakau, who was stationed at General Service Unit (GSU) barracks in Embu, was allegedly on holiday when he travelled to Russia to fight in the war for a short time.
What happened before Peter Maina’s death?
Maina’s mother, Marion Njeri, told Citizen TV that upon landing in Russia, Maina sent her KSh 1 million to purchase land for him.
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“Since then, he received no payment,” Njeri said.
Maina’s family was in constant communication with their son for three months before he went silent, never to be heard again.
“We spoke with him for three months, and he told me that he had lost all his documents, including IDs, passport, and phone, to a blaze. Since then, we have not seen him. On January 28, we were told that our child was shot,” Njeri painfully recounted.
Maina’s brother questioned how the civil servant could leave the country for months without the government knowing his whereabouts or responding to the family.
“I just want any confirmation, maybe a cloth or a shoe, so I can bury it in the land. There is no point in telling me my son is dead, yet there is nothing to confirm,” Njeri pleaded.
Is Russia responsible for Kenyan deaths?
Maina’s death has heightened concerns about the number of police officers lured to the country with promises of higher pay.
The incident comes amid the government’s warning against travelling to Russia via unverified channels and through tourist visas.
The Kenyan embassy in Moscow asked Kenyans already residing in the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, or Kazakhstan to register with it.
Four days before the recent case, the government confirmed that more than 1000 Kenyans had travelled to seek employment in the country.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi blamed Russia for the rising number of Kenyan casualties in battles against Ukrainian forces.
He stated that he would travel to Russia and engage the government directly.
Source: Facebook
Former Lang’ata Primary School pupil killed in Russia
In related news, a former Lang’ata Primary School pupil who protested the grabbing of the institution’s land was killed in Russia just four months after his enlistment into the military.
He had promised his family compensation of approximately KSh 13 million for his service, but sanctions prevented him from sending money home.
Prior to the Russian engagement, David Shitanda took up responsibilities at construction sites in Nairobi and later travelled to Somalia and Canada for greener pastures.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
