A Grave Without a Body: Why Kisii Elders Planted a Tree for Soldier Killed in Russia

In the quiet village of Bomariba, tucked within the Bonchari constituency of Kisii County, the sound of a shovel hitting the earth usually signals a final farewell.

On a recent Tuesday morning, however, the ritual took a somber and unusual turn. A grave was being dug, but there was no casket waiting nearby.

Instead of a body, the family of Clinton Nyapara, a young Kenyan man reported killed in the Russia-Ukraine war, prepared to plant a tree.

The Ritual of the Missing

Clinton Nyapara left his home last year with the same dream as many young men: a better future. That journey ended thousands of kilometres away in Donetsk, Ukraine, after he joined the Russian army.

Three months have passed since his family received the news of his death, yet his body remains in a conflict zone.

Faced with the agonizing reality that their son’s remains might never return, the family turned to Abagusii traditions. Following lengthy consultations with village elders, the decision was made to perform a symbolic burial.

In Gusii culture, a grave cannot remain empty, and a person who is confirmed dead must be given a resting place to ensure peace for both the living and the dead. The elders directed that a tree be planted in the open grave.

READ TOO: Exposed! How Top Gov’t Officials Took Bribes to Send Youths to Russian Army

“Instead of this boy getting forgotten like a wild animal, we have decided to plant a tree that will continue to grow. In the Abagusii culture, this will continue to remind people that he left his offspring,” explained Samwel Nyabwanga, the village elder.

For the family, this was not just a ceremony; it was the only closure they felt they would ever get.

A Growing Crisis

The tragedy in Kisii is not an isolated incident. A Citizen TV report has highlighted a worrying trend of young Kenyan men being lured into the Russian military.

• 15 young men are reported missing from villages in Transmara West, Narok County.
• Tens of men have reportedly disappeared from villages in Gatundu to join the war.

Many of these families had never heard of Russia until their sons vanished. One family still keeps the shoes of 30-year-old Eric Korinko, a silent reminder of the son who walked out with hope and never returned.

A Plea for Repatriation

The recruitment of Kenyan youth into foreign militias has left rural communities shattered. Families in Narok and Kisii are now unified by a single, desperate request: they want the Kenyan government to intervene.

While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reportedly offered promises, the families claim these have been "empty" so far. They are calling for the state to help repatriate the bodies of their loved ones so they can be accorded a "decent send-off" according to their customs.