Dishon Maina, a young man from Kirinyaga County, has shared his painful experience after joining the Russian military and fighting in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.According to his account, he travelled to Russia through an agent about six months ago after being promised good pay and opportunities.He said he signed what he later described as a “contract of death” that promised him up to KSh 1.4 million.After only one month of military training, he was reportedly deployed directly to the battlefield.Dishon explained that life at the war front was extremely dangerous, with constant drone attacks, landmines, and daily deaths among fellow soldiers.

He claimed that many foreign fighters in the Russian military came from African and Asian countries, including several Kenyans from counties such as Kiambu, Murang’a, Kisii, and Kirinyaga.

As conditions worsened, Dishon reportedly tried several times to seek help to leave the battlefield and return to Kenya, but his efforts were unsuccessful.In desperation, he says he shot himself in the leg so he could be evacuated for medical treatment and eventually escape the war zone.He is now back in Kenya recovering from his injuries.His family revealed they went through months of fear and uncertainty after hearing rumours that he had died in the conflict.Even after returning home, Dishon says he continues to struggle with traumatic memories from the battlefield.

The report also states that nearly 42 Kenyans remain missing in the conflict, while the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs estimates that around 291 Kenyans have joined Russian military operations since the war intensified.