Kiambu family pleads with government to rescue Ex-KDF soldier allegedly trapped in Russian Military after job scam

A family in Kilimambogo, Thika East, Kiambu County, is appealing to the Kenyan government to help trace and rescue their son, Samuel Maina, a former Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer who was allegedly deceived and forced into joining the Russian military.

Maina, 31, reportedly left home on August 17, 2025, after securing what he believed was a security guard job in Russia, only to later inform his family that he had been coerced into military service.

His father, John Kariuki, said Samuel had served in the KDF for eight years before seeking opportunities abroad. The family says he communicated through WhatsApp, revealing that he and others were given just five days of training before being sent to the Ukraine warfront.

According to his sister Mary Njeri, Samuel described the harrowing conditions he faced and begged for help to return home. His mother, Rahab Muthoni, said the family’s firstborn and breadwinner had neither received pay nor sent any money home since leaving Kenya.

The family last heard from him on October 25, before communication abruptly stopped. They fear for his safety, as Samuel had shared that his unit had been attacked, leaving him injured and one other soldier dead.

The distraught family is now pleading with President William Ruto and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to liaise with the Russian Embassy to help locate and repatriate Samuel, saying they can only find peace once he returns home.