In Mugutha, Ruiru Sub-County, a white condolence tent stands outside a grieving family’s home. Plastic chairs line the compound as relatives and friends gather – not around a coffin, but around questions.
The family of Simon Wahome Gititu is demanding official clarification following social media reports alleging he was killed while fighting in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War.
Their anguish began on February 6 when posts circulating online claimed that two Kenyan nationals had been killed in Ukraine. The reports were attributed to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, which alleged the men were fighting on the side of Russia.
For Simon’s mother, Loice Wangari, the news was both sudden and devastating.
“I received a call while at work and was told that Simon, who had been missing in Russia, had died and that the news was on social media. I felt weak and almost collapsed. I called my family members and they confirmed it,” she said.
Yet, despite the circulating claims, the family says they have received no official communication from Kenyan authorities.
Simon left Kenya in August 2023 for Qatar, where he worked as a security officer. In October 2025, he informed his family he had secured a better-paying opportunity in Russia through a friend. He reportedly described his new role as a delivery worker attached to the Russian military and mentioned being promised citizenship.
“He called and told us he had arrived safely in Russia and had been received well. He sounded very happy,” Wangari recalled.
Weeks later, however, the situation changed. “After the fourth week, he called and said he had been given a gun and a uniform and that they were going to war. After some time, he stopped calling,” she narrated.
The family’s last contact with Simon was on November 16, 2025. Since then, silence.
Now, his wife faces the painful burden of explaining the unfolding tragedy to their three young children. “We still don’t know how to tell them,” a relative said quietly.
The case has sparked wider concerns over reports that foreign nationals, including Africans, are being recruited into military roles under promises of employment. For Simon’s family, however, the issue is not geopolitics – it is closure.
“We just want the truth. And if he is gone, we want his body so we can bury our son with dignity,” a family member pleaded.
As the sun sets over Kiambu County, the tent in Mugutha remains – a symbol of grief suspended between hope and heartbreak, and a family waiting for answers only official channels can provide.
