Former Kenyan athlete Evans Kibet.
New details have emerged on the detention of Kenyan runner Evans Kibet Sullo in Ukraine, exposing a harrowing ordeal that has left his family in Bungoma desperate and frustrated.
For months, Kibet’s family did not hear from him following his capture in Ukraine while fighting for Russia.
A rare video call from a Ukrainian prison and a visit by a Kenyan government official now reveal the scope of his ordeal and the stalled efforts to return him home.
The video call has given Kibet’s family members the first glimpse of him alive.
From their modest home in Kaptama, Mt Elgon Sub-County, the athlete’s family says appeals for government intervention have yielded little, even as he remains stranded in a foreign land.
In November last year, the Sunday Nation ran an article on how the 37-year-old was reportedly duped into flying to Russia under the guise of a sporting opportunity, only to be deployed to the frontline.
Mr Kibet, who had been living and training in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, left Kenya in July 2025, believing he was to take part in a running contest.
Evans Kibet.
He, instead, became one of hundreds of Kenyans caught up in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
In a past interview with the Daily Nation, the long-distance runner said he was tricked into joining the Russian military.
This week, his brother, Isaac Masai, disclosed details about his fate, deepening fears in the family of seven.
In an interview on Wednesday, Mr Masai recounted an emotional breakthrough on February 26, when visiting journalists inadvertently helped the family establish contact with Kibet.
“Some journalists came home to interview us and one of them was from Germany. He had a colleague in Ukraine who was also working on the matter. He managed to go to the prison and helped us talk to our first born. It was an emotional conversation,” Mr Masai said.
The hour-long WhatsApp audio call, later followed by a video call, offered the family their first glimpse of Mr Kibet since his capture.
“We requested if they could allow a video call, and the prison officials accepted. He looked physically well, but lonely and disturbed,” his brother said.
The journalist who helped the family connect with the athlete also showed them a map showing the prison’s location and images.
During the call, Mr Kibet revealed to his brother that a Kenyan government official visited him at the prison in January.
The Kenyan government had reportedly described his case as “sensitive and complicated”, largely due to the nature of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has made diplomatic and repatriation efforts difficult.
“When we were granted a video call, our fear about him was gone. We saw him alive but he kept telling me that he feels lost,” Mr Masai said.
According to Mr Masai, his brother was presented with two options by Kenyan officials as part of efforts to secure his return: remain in detention in Ukraine until the war ends, or agree to be transferred back to Russia through a prisoner exchange arrangement.
The athlete is said to have opted for repatriation to Russia.
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