- Former KDF officer Oscar Agolla from Busia County vanished after travelling to Russia for a supposed job opportunity.
- His last call to family suggested he was being deployed to the frontline of the Russia–Ukraine war.
- Family suspects human trafficking and illegal military recruitment.
- Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei recently confirmed the rescue of other Kenyans trapped in similar circumstances.
- The family appeals to the Kenyan government for help in tracing their missing son.
A family in Busia County is pleading for help after their son, Oscar Agolla, a former Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier, went missing months after travelling to Russia under what they now believe was a human trafficking and illegal conscription scheme.
Speaking to Citizen TV, his father, Charles Mutoka, said the family last heard from Oscar shortly before he was reportedly taken to the battlefront.
“He told me that he had found a job in Russia and was preparing to leave soon,” Mutoka said, recalling the excitement his son had about working abroad.
Oscar’s sister, Mary Olendo, said the family’s fears grew after receiving a chilling final phone call.
“I’m sure he was recruited to the Ukraine–Russia war because the last call he made, he said he was waiting to be taken to the frontline. Since then, his number has been unreachable,” she recounted.
Since that call, months have passed with no word from Oscar.
The case comes amid a growing number of Kenyan nationals reported missing after being lured to Russia with promises of high-paying jobs, only to end up in war zones.
Recently, another Kenyan, Kevin Kariuki, was rescued after being captured by Ukrainian forces.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei confirmed his safe return, thanking Kenya’s mission in Moscow for their intervention.
“A third Kenyan, Kevin Kariuki Nduma, irregularly conscripted to serve in the Russian military, is on his way back home. I commend our Mission in Moscow for the effort to rescue and repatriate Kenyans caught in this unfortunate and dangerous situation,” Sing’Oei said.
On September 27, PS Sing’Oei also announced the rescue of three other Kenyans, Shaquille Wambo, Pius Mwika, and Derick Njaga, who were trapped in the conflict.
“Our Mission and our teams at headquarters are doing what we can to address the situation of those captured as prisoners of war,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Oscar’s family is appealing to authorities for urgent action.
“We just want to know where our son is. Whether alive or dead, we deserve to know the truth,” Mary pleaded.
The Agolla family now joins several others in Kenya seeking answers about their loved ones’ fate amid concerns of human trafficking networks exploiting job seekers for recruitment into foreign conflicts.
