The Ukrainian government has welcomed possible talks with Kenya following the capture of Evans Kibet, a 36-year-old Kenyan allegedly found fighting for Russia. According to BBC News Africa, Kyiv confirmed that Kibet is being detained as a prisoner of war under the Geneva Convention, pending a court decision on his status.
Kibet’s case has sparked shock both at home and abroad, with his family urging the Kenyan government to intervene and secure his release. His cousin told the BBC that the family was devastated after seeing a video released by the Ukrainian military showing Kibet narrating his ordeal. “I am so traumatised. I didn’t sleep at night. I don’t even know what to say,” the cousin said.
His younger brother described him as humble and a pillar of the family, noting that they were struggling to reconcile how he ended up in such circumstances.
Kibet, a long-distance runner, claimed in the video that he had travelled to Russia for a race. However, his phone and passport were confiscated after his two-week trip expired. He alleged that he was coerced into signing documents in Russian—a language he could not understand—before being conscripted into the Russian army.
After a week of basic training, Kibet said he was sent to the battlefield. He later escaped, spending two days wandering through a forest along the Russia-Ukraine border before surrendering to Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine has also disclosed that other foreign nationals from Sierra Leone, Somalia, Egypt, Togo, Cuba, and Sri Lanka are being held under similar circumstances. Both the Russian and Kenyan governments are yet to issue formal statements regarding Kibet’s detention.
For Kibet’s family in Kenya, the priority remains his safe return. “As a family, we are shocked about the information we received,” his brother said. “We hope the government can help.”
