Rescue my son from Russia war, Nakuru mother pleads with State
National
By
Pkemoi Ng'enoh
| Oct 29, 2025
A family from Bahati in Nakuru, whose relative was lured to Russia, believes that he is now on the front line after he stopped communicating with them for more than one month.
Wangari Reuben Ndungu, 29, left the country in August after being lured by a local agency that claimed it had secured a job for him in Russia to work as a security guard.
But when he landed there, he called the family informing them that the job did not exist; instead, he had been forced to join the army to fight against Ukraine.
His mother, Jane Wangari, said sometime in August, the son who was residing in Limuru informed her that he had landed a job in Russia. She was not worried because he had worked in Qatar and Somaliland before, and he came back without any challenges.
"Two weeks after he arrived, he called us and reported that things had changed and he was taken for training with Russian forces. The last time we heard from him was in early October, and since then, we have never heard from him," the mother said.
When the family heard the reports of Kenyans trapped in Russia on Monday, they travelled to the Embassy in Nairobi on October 27, 2025, where they camped outside seeking assistance on how Ndungu left the country.
"I heard the names of other survivors being mentioned on one of the local radio stations, but I didn't hear my son's name, forcing us to come and camp at the Embassy," said Wangari.
Adding that, "The Embassy denied that they processed his visa, then we were thrown out even after camping outside the premises."
Ndungu is the second-born in the family, and the mother said he was the sole breadwinner since their father died more than a decade ago.
His younger sister, Anne Waithera, said when she last spoke with her brother, he informed them that an agency, which he did not reveal the name of, was preparing his travel documents.
"At that time, he said the agency had told them to keep fit, but they left the country on August 8, 2025. The last communication we had was on October 1, and his message was that he would be on the front line and that we pray for him because he had no experience in war," the sister shared.
Ruth Ndungu, a family friend, recalled that she met Reuben in Limuru before he left the country, but did not suspect that he was being duped since he had been out of the country on other tasks.
However, another friend who had intentions of joining him changed his plans after realising that the agency in question was not operating within a physical office but in a vehicle.
"After following up with someone in Dubai, we were sent messages indicating that Reuben did not return to his room two weeks ago, and it is suspected that he might have been captured by the Ukrainian soldiers," she explained.
The family was directed to write to the Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs about the matter, explaining how Ndungu left the country and his details for a follow-up, together with other Kenyans trapped in Russia.
"What we are appealing for is justice for our son. It is painful for the government to keep mum for this long, yet reports have been all over on what is happening to our relatives in Russia. The agencies involved should also be taken into account," the family appealed.