A family in Timboroa, Baringo County is grieving after receiving alarming information that their 25-year-old son, Kevin Kang’u, who travelled to Russia for studies last year, may have died in the ongoing Russia–Ukraine conflict.
Kevin joined a Russian government scholarship programme in September 2025, which required recipients to first serve in the country’s military for a year. Shortly after joining frontline forces, the family lost contact with him. Last week, they were informed by a fellow Kenyan in a different battalion that Kevin had reportedly died in early December 2025.
Residents of Timboroa Village were seen consoling the family of Senior Chief Jacob Njehia, who expressed deep distress over the situation.
Kevin had initially joined a battalion alongside six other Kenyans, receiving military training during which he maintained regular contact with his family, assuring them that he would turn around their fortunes. After a month of training, he was deployed to the frontline. He reportedly sent distress messages in early December through a Russian soldier’s phone, appealing for the Kenyan government to facilitate his rescue.
Towards the end of December, Njehia received another message from a fellow Kenyan soldier indicating Kevin was safe, but contact was lost again shortly thereafter. The family remained in uncertainty until last week’s report of his death.
The family has since reported the matter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hoping that Kevin’s remains can be recovered and repatriated to Kenya for a dignified burial.
This incident underscores the growing number of Kenyans who have become entangled in the Russia–Ukraine war while seeking educational and career opportunities abroad, highlighting the risks faced by young people pursuing overseas scholarships that involve military service.
