Kenya to engage Russia over alleged recruitment of citizens for Ukraine war

Kenya says it will engage Russia over growing reports that its citizens are being recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine, describing the practice as illegal and unacceptable. Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi, in an interview with the BBC, said Nairobi had shut down illegal recruitment networks and would urge Moscow to enter into a formal agreement banning the conscription of Kenyan nationals into military service.

“The practice is unacceptable and clandestine,” Mudavadi told the BBC.

Mudavadi said Kenya’s discussions with Russia would focus on curbing illegal recruitment practices, including reviews of visa arrangements and bilateral labour agreements that explicitly exclude military conscription.

“Kenya and Russia have had long relations since independence, literally. So this, in my view, becomes a very unfortunate episode of otherwise very positive and cordial relations between our two countries,” he added.

According to Mudavadi, Kenyan authorities have closed more than 600 recruitment agencies suspected of misleading citizens with promises of overseas employment.

A recent Washington Post investigation reported that large numbers of Kenyan men have been drawn into Russia’s war in Ukraine, often through deceptive recruitment practices. According to interviews with survivors and families, many were lured by promises of civilian employment or low-risk security work in Russia, only to be transferred to combat zones soon after arrival. Others, including former or serving members of security agencies, knowingly joined as mercenaries, motivated by salaries far exceeding what they could earn in Kenya. In numerous cases, recruits failed to return home, leaving families without clear information about their fate.

The investigation described what it call a covert recruitment network stretching from Kenya to Russian-occupied parts of eastern Ukraine, with similar patterns identified in several African countries. Former recruits recounted receiving little training, struggling with language barriers, and facing severe discipline from Russian commanders. Some said they were sent into battle within days, pressured to sign contracts they did not understand, and threatened with detention or financial penalties if they resisted.

Kenyan authorities told the Post they only became fully aware of the schemes after media reports emerged and acknowledged limited capacity to stop them. Officials attributed the problem to unlicensed recruitment agencies, noting that while some suspects had been detained, others remained unaccounted for, and no official death toll was available. The investigation also found that families often paid significant recruitment fees and later struggled to trace missing relatives.