A grieving family in Kisii County has been forced to find closure in an unusual way after giving up hope of ever receiving the body of their son who reportedly died thousands of kilometres away in the war in Ukraine.

The family of Clinton Nyapara held a symbolic burial ceremony after months of waiting for his remains to be returned from the conflict zone.

Nyapara, a young Kenyan from Bomariba Village in Bonchari Constituency, is believed to have died in Donetsk, an area that has witnessed intense fighting in the ongoing Russia–Ukraine War.

According to relatives, Nyapara left Kenya in 2024 after securing what they believed was a job opportunity in Qatar. However, his journey reportedly took a different turn when he later travelled to Russia and was recruited into the Russian army.

News of his death reached home months later, plunging the family into grief and uncertainty.

Despite repeated attempts, relatives say they have been unable to bring his body back to Kenya due to the high cost and complicated logistics of transporting remains from a war zone.

On Tuesday, the family finally made a painful decision.

With villagers gathered at their rural home in Bomariba, mourners watched as a grave was prepared — but there was no coffin to lower into the ground.

Instead, the family planted a tree in the grave.

The symbolic act, elders said, was meant to honour Nyapara’s memory and give the family a place to mourn.

The tree will now stand as a living reminder of a young man who left home in search of opportunity, only to lose his life far from the land that raised him.

Nyapara is among a growing number of young Kenyans believed to have died after joining foreign forces in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Three months after learning of his death, his relatives say their hope of bringing him home has faded.

For them, the tree planted in the quiet soil of Bomariba is now the closest thing they have to a final goodbye.