David Shitanda, the Lang’ata Primary School pupil who went viral after participating in a protest against President William Ruto's Weston Hotel that saw him and his classmates teargassed, has died.
In a statement on Thursday, February 19, activist Boniface Mwangi said Shitanda died while fighting for Russian forces in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
According to family sources, Shitanda relocated to Russia last year hoping to secure work and improve his prospects.
His mother, Susan Kuloba, last heard from him through a voice note before he was reportedly killed in battle.
Mwangi mourned Shitanda, describing his death as a painful reflection of the country’s leadership failures.
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"David Shitanda did not deserve to die so young, thousands of kilometers away from his home and family," he said.
Mwangi said the young man’s life story captured the struggles facing many Kenyan youths.
"David's brief life on earth personifies how Kenyan leadership is failing its youth. As a kid in primary school, he fought against greedy leadership. As an adult, the same failed leadership forced him to seek a livelihood in a foreign land, fighting and dying in another man's war," he added.
Mwangi urged Kenyans to reflect on the state of youth opportunities in the country and the choices made at the ballot.
"Choose leaders who genuinely care about our youth beyond mere tokenism and exploitation," he further said.
This comes days after the Kenyan Embassy in Moscow issued a warning to members of the public over fraudulent employment opportunities in Russia.
In an update on Sunday, February 15, State Department for Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu said the embassy has observed a rise in inquiries linked to questionable job recruitment processes involving Kenyan nationals travelling to Russia.
"The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya in Moscow has recently received numerous inquiries on an increasing number of Kenyan nationals who have travelled to the Russian Federation after receiving job offers through unverified agents and online recruiters," the statement read.
According to the embassy, many affected individuals reported that promises made before travel did not match the reality they found upon arrival.
"Many of the affected individuals or their relatives have written to the Embassy directly or through the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs reporting that they were promised employment opportunities, high salaries, and residency arrangements which, upon arrival, did not exist or differed significantly from what had been communicated. They further indicated that in some cases, passports were withheld, movement was restricted, and the individuals became subject to conditions beyond their control and access by the Embassy for consular services," the statement added.
Officials further explained that assistance can be difficult when travellers use informal or unsafe channels, particularly when legal and administrative barriers arise in the host country.
"The Embassy wishes to inform the public that where individuals have travelled through irregular, unsafe, unverified and informal channels, consular access and intervention may be limited or delayed. Immediate extraction or repatriation may also be challenging for contractual disputes, restricted location or legal processes under the laws and administrative procedures of the host country," the statement continued.
The government said it is still working with host authorities to assist affected citizens wherever regulations permit but emphasized that avoiding risky recruitment channels is crucial.
The embassy urged Kenyans to verify overseas job offers through official government channels and avoid travel arrangements that bypass established procedures.
"The Government of Kenya in collaboration with the host country continues to assist affected citizens wherever access and local regulations permit. However, prevention remains the most effective protection.
"Kenyan citizens are therefore strongly advised do not travel for employment arranged through social media, messaging applications, or unlicensed agencies; verify all job offers through the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and the Kenyan diplomatic mission before departure; avoid travelling on tourist visas for employment purposes; inform family members that unverified travel carries significant personal risk and may limit Government assistance; all Kenyans travelling or residing in the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus or Kazakhstan to register with the Embassy," the statement further read.
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