Family seeks govt’s intervention after ex-GSU officer dies fighting in Ukraine
By Aloys Michael, February 23, 2026A Kenyan family is urging the government to step in and facilitate the repatriation of a former General Service Unit (GSU) officer’s body, reported to have been killed while fighting in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The family, speaking to a local TV station on Sunday, February 22, 2026, revealed that the 33-year-old Peter Maina Gakau was previously stationed at a GSU barracks in Embu before resigning to join the war, enticed by a promised payment of Ksh400,000.
According to the deceased’s family, who escorted him to the airport on his way to Russia, he was recruited to the Russian army by an unidentified Russian man.
“We took him to the airport when it was on a Monday, and when we arrived at the airport, we found that there were many police officers who were in the company of one Russia,” Marion Njeri Kariuki, Maina’s mother, narrated.
After spending more than three months in the war, one of the man’s colleagues contacted the family on January 28, 2026, to inform them that he was among those killed by an explosive while in the line of duty.
Before his death, the family claimed that they were informed that all his personal belongings, including his ID and passports, had been destroyed.
“We were talking with him for more than three months, and he told me that all his belongings had been destroyed, and then on January 28, we were informed that they were killed by an explosion,” the mother said.
“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.”
Maina adds to the list of Kenyans who have died in the Russia-Ukraine war, even as the government initiates diplomatic arrangements to repatriate and see the release of citizens trapped in the conflict.
Meanwhile, the Kenyan Embassy in Moscow warned citizens against travelling to Russia for jobs through unverified channels, warning that this might limit access to government assistance in case they are stranded.
In a statement on Sunday, February 15, 2026, the embassy said that Kenyans wishing to travel to Russia for employment should avoid going through social media, messaging applications, or other unlicensed applications.
Kenyans have also been cautioned against travelling to Russia in search of employment using tourist visas. Those already residing in the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, or Kazakhstan were advised to register with the Kenyan embassy.
“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.