Josephine Ngoya, a 55-year-old mother from Mukuyu Sub-location, Lugari Sub-County, Kakamega, has spent months searching for answers about her son, Erastus Mundia, whose fate remains uncertain. Mundia, a 38-year-old father of three, left Kenya in September 2025, telling his mother he had secured an opportunity in Russia. Ngoya's quest for truth has been met with uncertainty, as she was told her son may have been killed while fighting for Russia against Ukraine.
Ngoya's son had previously lived in the United States in 2017, where he trained in sales and marketing. He largely lived in Mombasa, although he regularly returned to the family home in Kakamega. Before his departure, Mundia told his mother he had secured a trip and would reveal his destination once he arrived. When he eventually reached Russia, he told her he was in Moscow and said he had travelled there for work related to business.
Ngoya did not immediately suspect that anything was wrong, but a phone call from Mundia changed everything. He told her, "Where I am is not where I expected to be" and that he needed prayers. That was the last meaningful conversation she had with her son in November 2025. The family later learnt that Mundia may have ended up in the Russian military. A person identified by the family as Douglas, whom they understood to be a soldier and Mundia's friend, was involved in arranging Mundia's journey.
In January this year, Douglas informed the family that Mundia had gone to a conflict zone as a soldier and was believed to be among those who had died. However, months later, there is still no body, official death certificate or definitive government communication confirming his fate. Ngoya says Douglas switched off his phone, leaving the family with no updates. Her uncertainty was deepened when her sister sent her photographs of Mundia wearing what appeared to be a military uniform.
The family says its efforts to establish Mundia's fate have so far yielded little. In July, relatives based in Mombasa attempted to follow up on his disappearance. Ngoya's son's wife left Mombasa, where she was living with him, and moved back to her parents' home in Mumias, taking their children with her. Ngoya suspects she may have moved on and has blocked her.
Ngoya says her son was her main source of support, and his disappearance has left a huge financial and emotional hole in the family. He had started building a house after purchasing land in Likuyani, but the project has since stalled. He also supported his three children — a boy and two girls — who lived with their mother in Mombasa. His eldest child is currently in Form Three and is expected to join Form Four next year.
Ngoya's immediate demand is simple: she wants to know whether her son died. "If they can make an effort to find my son, I want to know whether he died. I have no proof that he is alive. The problem is that I no longer speak to him and I cannot see him. That is what gives me stress every day." She appeals to the Kenyan government for help, asking if there is compensation or assistance available to her.
Key points
- The family of Erastus Mundia is seeking answers about his disappearance in Russia's war against Ukraine.
- Mundia's wife has taken their children away, leaving his mother without contact.
- The Kenyan government has not provided any definitive communication confirming Mundia's fate.
