By Reuben Olita -Busia
A sombre mood engulfed Mukhunga village, Bunyala Sub-County, Busia County, on Saturday as family, relatives, friends and neighbours gathered for a mock burial ceremony of 40-year-old Oscar Khagola Mutoka, who was killed on 14 August 2025 during the Russia-Ukraine war.
Oscar, a former soldier, had reportedly travelled to Russia in search of greener pastures just two months before his tragic death. Unknown to his family, he had allegedly joined the Russian military.
The family remained unaware of his whereabouts until January 2026, when they received the heartbreaking news of his death.
Efforts to have his body repatriated for burial proved futile after the family was informed that his remains could not be retrieved from the battlefield. This forced the family to organise a mock burial ceremony to accord him dignity and find closure.
No coffin was purchased for the emotional ceremony. Two metres of land space was set aside, where a cross bearing Oscar’s name, date of birth, and date of death was erected in his honour.
Oscar’s father, Charles Mutoka, said the family had no option but to hold the symbolic burial after receiving confirmation that their son had died in the war.
“I am disappointed that the government says it had no knowledge of Kenyans who travelled to Russia in search of greener pastures,” he lamented.
Local leaders who attended the ceremony called for justice for Oscar and support for the grieving family.
The family described Oscar as a patriotic Kenyan who once served in the military during operations against Al-Shabaab insurgents and during the aftermath of the Wastegate bombing in Nairobi.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi has raised concern over the increasing number of Kenyans being recruited into the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to Mudavadi, two Kenyans are currently being held as prisoners of war by Ukrainian forces, while hundreds are believed to have been recruited into the Russian military, some allegedly through fake job offers and trafficking networks.
He said the Kenyan government is prioritising humanitarian intervention, tracing missing Kenyans, and stopping further recruitment.
Mudavadi further revealed that Kenya had engaged Russian authorities in efforts aimed at ending the recruitment of Kenyans into the Russian army.
He also warned Kenyans against accepting suspicious overseas job offers without verification through the Ministry of Labour or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying many victims are lured with promises of lucrative jobs and foreign citizenship.
