The newspapers of Tuesday, December 2, report on the plight of Kenyans and other Africans who are drawn into the war for Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.
Source: UGC
These newspapers also report events in the political arena, while highlighting the opposition, where the leader of the DCP Rigathi Gachagua he is accused of selfishness.
1. The Standard
This newspaper focuses on how Kenyans met their death and with other Africans who are brought to the battlefield in the conflict Ukraine and Russia. A Kiambu family is currently in mourning after its relative died in the war.
Martin Macharia, who traveled to Russia to find a job as a driver, unexpectedly found himself in a military camp. Despite having no training or knowledge of the ongoing conflict, he was later placed on the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine war.
His wife, Grace Gathoni, last spoke to him on November 18, 2025. News reports eventually confirmed his death, making him the first Kenyan to be publicly identified as having lost his life in the war.
“I don’t know where to start. He left me with four children. I don’t know how I will take care of them without him,” he told The Standard. Efforts to seek help from a recruitment agency to bring Macharia home were unsuccessful. “The agent said he had contacted the Embassy and was waiting for a response,” Gathoni added.
Sadness in the family is evident. For the younger children, seven-year-old Moses Mburu and four-year-old Favor Nyambura, the bicycle that their father had promised may not arrive.
As the children come to terms with their loss, Gathoni is left to cope with life without her husband, while the family struggles to rebuild after a tragedy they never chose. She remembered him as a dedicated and hardworking man who held the family together.
“What I am asking from the government is to help me recover his body so that we can have a proper burial and get to close that page,” he pleaded.
Their uncle, Geoffrey Gichuhi, supported the government’s call to trace Macharia’s remains and ensure they are returned to their homes.
His aunt, Loise Waithira, added:
“We didn’t know he was traveling; otherwise, we would have stopped him. We only knew about his problem when he was in trouble.”
The family has now turned to elected officials and asked them to intervene.
Before leaving, Macharia shared a tender moment with his eldest son, James Mutonga, as if he felt the weight of the journey ahead of him.
Neither father nor son realized that it would be their last time together.
“Always make peace and don’t make enemies. Don’t bother your mother, take care of her and be a good brother to your younger siblings. You are the one I leave here when I go, he told us he got a job abroad and he will go there to make money for us and return home after six months,” Mutonga told The Standard.
Standing where his father once stood, the third form student at Ihwagi Secondary School in Nyeri is struggling to stay strong, even though grief is overwhelming.
According to Gathoni, Macharia had been promised a job as a driver in Russia by a recruitment agency after he lost his job as a matatu driver.
“He has been a matatu driver for many years, but he lost his job when the matatu he was driving was sold. He stayed at home for a while without a job, and that’s when he thought of looking for greener pastures abroad,” he said.
2. Daily Nation
Daily Nation reports on President William Ruto’s warning against the growing threat of political gangs, vowing to take strict action against those who employ youths to incite violence and disrupt public events.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony for 5,892 chiefs and assistant chiefs at the National Police Academy Embakasi ‘A’, Ruto instructed the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to take decisive action against people who abuse the youth by breaking the law. He emphasized that the administration will not allow chaos to take root.
The newly graduated officers received training in military skills, legal skills and security management, aimed at strengthening national governance and preventing political violence.
Ruto expressed confidence that their enhanced capabilities will help protect society and restore stability. His remarks followed a series of violent incidents linked to mercenary gangs working for political and commercial interests.
The latest happened in Kariobangi North, Nairobi, during a thanksgiving service for elected ward representative David Wanyoike.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
