A family in Githaiti village in Ndia Constituency, Kirinyaga County, is mourning the tragic loss of their 23-year-old son, who was killed while fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Eric Mwangi Nyambura is said to have been lured abroad by a friend with promises of a well-paying job, only to later discover that he had been recruited into Russia’s military operations.

Speaking emotionally at her home, his mother, Joyce Nyambura Mundia, said the family only contributed Ksh10,000 to facilitate his passport.

“After three days, Eric was already in Russia,” she recounted.

His sister, Pauline Wanjiku Nyambura, revealed that the family remained in contact with Eric after he arrived in Russia on October 25, 2025.

However, their communication took a troubling turn when he disclosed that he had undergone military training lasting about five weeks.

According to Pauline, Eric expressed fear and uncertainty, noting that conditions at the front line were dire. He also relayed warnings from other Kenyans already deployed on the front lines, who cautioned that the situation was worsening.

Family seeks government intervention

On December 24, 2025, Eric sent her a WhatsApp message:

“Siz weeuh nimepatana na few Kenyans wenye wako mbele yangu, and I won’t assure you it is well.” Pauline replied, “Waah, ikishindikana, bro, tafuta means uchomoke weee, life safety yako muhimu.”

The last contact the family had with him was on January 8, 2026, when he read but did not respond to their messages. It was later, through a Ukrainian online platform, that they learned of his reported death.

Now overwhelmed with grief, the family, alongside neighbours John Mundia and Eliza Maina, is appealing to Musalia Mudavadi for government intervention.

They are seeking assistance to repatriate Eric’s body and to establish the circumstances under which he was recruited and transported to the war zone.

“We wonder how an agent named Siz Maria could ask only for a passport from my son and, after taking him to Russia, switch off her phone. Was it a planned scheme? The government has all travel documents. Please, Mudavadi, intervene so our son’s body is brought back home,” said John Mundia, a family neighbour.

The incident adds to growing concerns over reports of young Africans being misled into joining foreign conflicts under the guise of employment opportunities.