From athletics dream to war captivity: Family pleads for Evans Kibet's return

Nestled in the serene hills of Kipchiria, Kaptama Location, Mt Elgon Sub-County, a family faces each day filled with uncertainty, holding onto hope for the safe return of their son.

The homestead is made up of modest mud-walled houses standing among scattered trees, while a handful of dairy cows, goats, and chickens roam the compound.

The family's small livestock and subsistence farming provide little income, making survival a daily struggle. Yet the greatest burden they carry is not poverty, but the painful absence of their firstborn son, 37-year-old athlete Evans Kibet, who left Kenya on July 27, 2025, in search of a better future and instead became caught up in the Russia-Ukraine war.

For more than a year, the family has lived between hope and despair.

Evans' mother, Jane Muneria, says every day begins and ends with prayers for her son's safety.

"When I learnt from Isaac (her third-born son) that Evans was no longer in Russia but had ended up in Ukraine, I was devastated. I knew about the war only from what I had seen on television. Since then, I have hardly known peace. Sleep has become difficult because my thoughts are always with him. I only pray that God touches the hearts of our leaders, especially the President, because my son never intended to go to war. He only travelled believing he was going to compete in athletics," Jane narrated to The Standard Digital.

She recalls that Evans informed the family he had secured an opportunity to travel to Russia for athletics after being linked by a friend.

For two weeks after his departure, communication suddenly stopped.

Later, the family learnt the shocking truth that the promising athlete had allegedly been deceived into joining the Russian military before eventually being captured by Ukrainian forces.

"I have not seen my son for over a year," Jane says.

"Evans is my firstborn. I raised him in the church, and as a Seventh-day Adventist mother, I never imagined our family would go through this. Athletics was his passion. He trained in Iten and competed in Tanzania and Uganda as he worked hard to build an international career. Today, all we ask is for our son to come home alive," she said.

Her husband, Leonard Sullo, says the family's hopes had rested on Evans after misfortune struck years earlier.

The father, now past middle age, walks with visible difficulty, with scars from a road accident he suffered in the late 1990s still evident. Unable to continue working after the accident, he says he could not afford to educate Evans beyond Standard Eight.

"After my accident, life changed completely. Evans became the hope of our family because of his athletic talent. I didn't even know when he left for Russia until later. We were told that once there, his phone was taken away and within two weeks he had been trained for war," Sullo said.

According to Sullo, Evans later encountered Ukrainian soldiers during combat and surrendered.

"We thank God he was still wearing sports clothing when he surrendered. Had he been dressed in military combat gear, perhaps he would not be alive today. I am diabetic and hypertensive, and this situation has robbed me of sleep. My appeal to President William Ruto is simple: please intervene and bring our son back home," he said.

Evans' younger brother, Isaac Kipyego, has become the family's voice, tirelessly seeking government intervention.

He says the family has knocked on every door they could think of.

They wrote to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi through his Communications Officer, Jacob Ng'etich, after being advised to formally present their appeal. The family later felt encouraged when Mudavadi publicly mentioned Evans' case during an interview while on an official visit to Russia.

Kipyego has also sought help from Athletics Kenya because Evans was an athlete, but months later, no breakthrough has been communicated.

"We have done everything within our reach. We appealed through the media, wrote to the government, and even sought help from Athletics Kenya. We still believe the government can rescue Evans and other Kenyans trapped in similar circumstances," Kipyego said.

He says the family's last conversation with Evans was on February 26, 2026.

Communication, he explains, is rare because detainees are not allowed unrestricted access to phones. The family only manages to speak to Evans whenever journalists visit detention facilities and briefly allow him to use their phones.

During that conversation, Evans reportedly explained that only two possibilities existed: a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine or waiting until the war eventually ends.

Kipyego says his brother expressed a clear preference.

"Evans told me he would rather be repatriated to Russia through any available exchange programme because he believes being reunited with other Kenyans there would make it easier for authorities to process their return home than waiting for a war whose end no one can predict," he told The Standard Digital.

Kipyego is also warning desperate young Kenyans against falling prey to fraudulent recruitment agents.

"Many young people are unemployed and vulnerable. Unscrupulous agents should stop deceiving Kenyans with promises of jobs or athletics opportunities abroad only for them to end up trapped in war zones. The government has promised to crack down on such individuals, and that action cannot come soon enough," he said.

Watching the family's anguish is Nashon Ruto, Evans' elder paternal uncle, who says the emotional burden has become unbearable.

"The entire family is heartbroken. At this point, we are placing our hope in God and the Government of Kenya. We appreciate the media for continuing to highlight Evans' story because it reminds us that we have not been forgotten," Ruto stated.

The family says it has preserved text messages exchanged with Evans, together with copies of letters submitted to government authorities, as evidence of their appeal.

What began as a dream for a talented young athlete seeking international success has instead become a painful struggle for survival.

Evans had trained in Kenya's athletics capital, Iten, and competed in neighbouring Tanzania and Uganda, hoping one day to establish himself on the global stage. Instead, what was presented as a sporting opportunity in Russia allegedly turned into forced military recruitment before he was eventually captured in Ukraine.

Back in Kipchiria Village, every passing day brings another anxious wait.

The mud-walled home remains quiet. The few livestock continue grazing around the compound. The elderly parents cling to faith while watching the road that once carried away their son, hoping it will one day bring him safely back.

Their appeal remains simple and heartfelt: that the Government of Kenya explores every available diplomatic avenue, including possible prisoner exchange arrangements and repatriation efforts, to reunite Evans Kibet with the family that has waited far too long for his return.