The death of Clinton Nyapara Mogesa in Ukraine's war, while fighting for the Russian army, underscores Kenya's government failure to protect its citizens. Many Kenyans, especially youth, are joining the Russian forces seeking better lives, undeterred by comrades' deaths. This trend signals a social crisis the nation is unprepared for.
The death of Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, a young Kenyan enlisted in the Russian army and killed in Ukraine's war, was reported recently by Ukraine. According to reports, Nyapara sought a better future for himself, his family, and dependents. However, such deaths have not deterred other Kenyans; instead, some, men and women alike, are seeking ways to join the Russian forces.
Sixty-two years after Kenya's independence from colonial rule, it is disheartening to see the nation's sons and daughters voluntarily entering slavery and death. Many endure grueling jobs without rest or pay in Arab countries, or join criminal gangs, terrorist groups, and foreign armies. Many youth have vowed not to live like their parents and ancestors, willing to risk their lives to earn quick money.
This reality, though frightening, makes sense amid widespread poverty: many sleep rough during the day, turning to illicit brews and drugs for temporary escape from shattered dreams. Others meet violent ends after joining outlaw groups exploited by politicians during protests and election campaigns.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees," is a famous saying attributed to Emiliano Zapata, a Mexican revolutionary leader, which some Kenyans may be taking to heart. Kenya and Africa broadly are turning a blind eye to this social crisis, especially considering that war veterans will return having witnessed frontline horrors, without robust strategies to reintegrate them or address rising mental health issues.
The government bears a constitutional duty to protect its citizens and provide hope for success at home, to stem this despair.