Last message to Mother of 4 before Husband dies fighting for Russian army

A family in Nyamondo village, South Mugirango, Kisii County, is living through an agonising period of grief, confusion and uncertainty following reports that their beloved son, Matiabe Onchari, died while allegedly serving on the battlefields in Russia.

Onchari, a 38-year-old father of four, reportedly travelled abroad in search of better employment opportunities, hoping to secure a brighter future for his young family. However, what initially appeared to be a promising overseas job opportunity has turned into a heartbreaking ordeal, leaving his wife, children and elderly parents desperately searching for answers.

According to his family, Onchari had previously worked as a boda boda rider in Kenya. He also possessed driving skills and was reportedly promised an opportunity to work as a delivery driver in Qatar.

Believing that the opportunity would improve his family’s financial situation, he allegedly left Kenya alongside a close friend, unaware that his journey would reportedly take a completely different direction.

His wife, Beatrice Nyanchama, is among those struggling to come to terms with the shocking reports. She maintains that her husband had never expressed any intention of joining the military or participating in a war.

“He was a boda boda rider here in Kenya, and he also had skills in driving vehicles. He knew he was going abroad to work as a delivery car driver,” Nyanchama explained emotionally.

However, shortly after arriving in Russia, things reportedly began taking an unexpected turn. Onchari started sending photographs to his family showing him and other individuals dressed in military uniforms, raising questions about the kind of work he had been recruited to undertake.

The situation became even more disturbing when communication between him and his family suddenly stopped.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks eventually became months, with his wife and relatives waiting anxiously for a phone call or message that never came.

The family later received information suggesting that Onchari had died in February 2026, approximately nine months before the reports emerged publicly. However, the circumstances surrounding his alleged death remain unclear, and his remains have reportedly not been located.

Despite receiving the heartbreaking information, his parents are struggling to accept that their son could be gone. Without official confirmation or his body, they continue to hold onto hope that he might still be alive.

The emotional situation has attracted the attention of relatives, neighbours and friends, who have been gathering at the home of his father, Mzee David Minyonga, to offer comfort and support during this difficult period.

Speaking amid the family’s distress, Minyonga made an emotional appeal to the government, asking authorities to intervene and help establish the whereabouts of his son.

“Please help me find my son so we can know the way forward. I believe the government can help. Since we got the news, we have not heard anything from any of our leaders in regard to helping us,” he lamented.

Nyanchama has also appealed directly to President William Ruto and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to urgently intervene, investigate the circumstances surrounding her husband’s disappearance and establish whether the reports of his death are true.

For the family, the uncertainty has made the situation even more painful. They are caught between hope and despair, unable to establish whether they should continue waiting for their loved one or begin preparing to mourn him.

There is also a deep cultural concern surrounding the situation. The family says that should Onchari’s death be officially confirmed, they would want his remains brought back to Kenya for burial according to Abagusii cultural traditions.

They believe that having his body returned home would allow them to give him a dignified farewell and finally find closure after months of unanswered questions.

For now, his wife and four children remain at home, waiting for answers about a husband and father who left Kenya in search of a better life but has reportedly not communicated with them for months.

The family is now calling on the Kenyan government to use all available diplomatic channels to establish the truth about Onchari’s fate, locate his remains if he indeed died, and help reunite the family with the answers they desperately need.

Their greatest wish is simple: to know what happened to their son, husband and father.