The family of Charles Wangari, a Kenyan man killed in the Russia-Ukraine War, held a memorial without his body in Mukurweini, Nyeri County.
Charles Wangari was reportedly killed in Russia on Christmas day and his body could not be extracted from the battlefield for repatriation and decent burial.
In photos seen by The Kenya Times, Wangari’s family was seen surrounding their son’s portrait in a solemn ceremony. A sombre mood engulfed the village as the family and friends prepared to embark on a healing journey.
Charles Wangari was a former Laikipia-based footballer who had left Kenya in search of employment in Europe. But instead, his journey took a different course, and he reportedly underwent military training linked to the Russian Army before his death.
Charles Wangari, a Man Killed in the Russia-Ukraine War
Charles Wangari, a former Kubali FC player in Laikipia West, is among the victims in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, adding to a rising list of Kenyans reportedly killed, injured, or stranded in Russia and Ukraine, after being recruited under the guise of employment.
Wangari left Kenya with the aspiration of eventually settling in Sweden, only to be drafted into the Russian army.
Adding to the family’s grief is the news that his body could not be repatriated to Kenya, denying them a chance to lay him to rest, hence a funeral without a body.
Also Read: CS Mutua Reveals How Kenyans Are Being Smuggled to Fight for Russia
How Kenyans Were Being Deceived
Over the past months, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recorded an increase in complaints from Kenyans who travelled abroad under questionable arrangements, including some who used the wrong visa categories or were misled about the nature of the work awaiting them.
In November 2025, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said about 200 Kenyans were known to be fighting for Russia and warned that recruitment networks remained active in both Kenya and Russia.
Among those recruited were reportedly former members of Kenya’s security forces. Some rescued Kenyans said they were forced to assemble drones and handle chemicals without proper training or protective gear.
President William Ruto has since asked the Ukrainian government to facilitate the release of Kenyans detained in the conflict zone.
Ukrainian authorities estimate that about 1,400 citizens from across Africa are fighting alongside Russian forces, many of whom were recruited through deception.
In late January, Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence identified a man killed in the frontline as 28-year-old Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, a Kenyan citizen whose body was allegedly discovered at one of the positions previously held by Russian forces in the Donetsk region.
Also Read: Putin Demands International Recognition of Donbas as Russian
Ukrainian authorities, in a statement on February 1, said Mogesa was killed during what they described as a “meat assault” — a term used to refer to high-casualty frontal attacks involving poorly trained soldiers.
According to Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (DIU), Mogesa had been residing and working in Qatar before travelling to Russia, where he eventually entered a contract with the Russian military.
The agency reported that he received only limited military preparation before being sent to active combat in eastern Ukraine, where he was attached to a Russian assault formation operating in the Donetsk region.
“Mogesa left a job in Qatar, received minimal military training, and was subsequently sent to the combat zone, where he was killed during an assault operation,” the Ukrainian intelligence report said.
Ukrainian officials indicated that his remains were later recovered by their forces following the deadly clash.
Authorities also stated that when his body was retrieved, Mogesa was found carrying passports belonging to two other Kenyan nationals.
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