Family Holds Symbolic Burial Without a Body for Son Killed in Russia–Ukraine War

A family in Mukurweini, Nyeri County, has held a symbolic burial ceremony for their son, Charles Waithaka, months after learning of his death in the Russia–Ukraine war.

The emotional ceremony was marked by grief, silence, and unanswered questions as relatives lit 31 candles, representing each year of Waithaka’s life. The ritual was meant to offer the family a sense of closure, even though his body had never been recovered from the battlefield.

Family members said their pain is deepened by the harsh reality that they may never see their son’s body or give him a proper burial.

“We buried hope today, not a body,” one relative said. “The pain is unbearable. Not knowing where your child lies is torture.”

Waithaka travelled to Russia on October 25 last year after being promised employment opportunities. According to his family, he was later recruited into the Russian military and sent to the frontline.

The family received news of his death on December 25, Christmas Day. They were informed that he died instantly after being hit by an explosive during combat.

“While others were celebrating Christmas, our world collapsed,” a relative said. “That day will forever remain painful for us.”

His death has drawn attention to growing claims that Kenyan job seekers are being misled with promises of work abroad, only to end up fighting in the Russia–Ukraine conflict.

Families say recruitment networks lure young people with assurances of civilian jobs, hiding the dangers until it is too late.

Duncan Chege, a survivor who recently returned to Kenya, said he was told he would work as a driver when he travelled to Russia.

“I was promised a driving job, not a military role,” Chege said. “When we arrived, everything changed. We were given uniforms and weapons and taken to training camps.”

Odhiambo Ojiro, a Rapid Response Officer at Vocal Africa, warned that African youths are increasingly being exploited through deceptive overseas recruitment schemes.

He said families are left confused, devastated, and without support after discovering that their loved ones were sent to war under false promises of employment.

Ojiro added that many families struggle to obtain information about the fate of relatives deployed to conflict zones, with some losing contact weeks or months after their arrival abroad.

Waithaka’s family has now appealed to the government to investigate recruitment networks and engage Russian authorities to clarify the fate of Kenyans believed to have died or gone missing in the war.

“We want the government to speak for us,” the family said. “Young people are being exploited, and families are left to suffer in silence.”