Kenya’s Foreign Ministry has warned that citizens are being deceived by fraudulent agents into traveling to Russia under the guise of legitimate job offers, only to find themselves conscripted into Russia’s war in Ukraine.
In a statement released Monday, Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi said that Kenyan nationals “have been lured by corrupt and ruthless agents to travel to Russia and unknowingly find themselves in the Russian military operation.” The ministry said many of those deceived are now detained in Russian military camps, though it did not specify how many Kenyans are affected.
Mudavadi confirmed that Kenyan and Russian officials held a “crucial meeting” last month in an effort to secure the release and repatriation of those detained. “The system has been made complicated by agents masquerading as working with the Russian government,” the ministry said, accusing the traffickers of using “unscrupulous methods, including falsified information, to lure innocent Kenyans into the battlefield.”
The warning comes amid growing concerns that Russia has been recruiting citizens from impoverished nations by exploiting economic hardship. Many are allegedly tricked into signing contracts written in Russian, which they cannot read or understand.
Kenya, where unemployment remains high, has become one of several African countries targeted by foreign recruitment schemes. Local media, including The Nation newspaper, have reported that Russian-linked recruiters are offering fake job opportunities to young men, often from low-income backgrounds. One former Kenyan soldier interviewed by The Nation admitted to voluntarily joining a Russian mercenary group but said others were coerced or misled.
The situation took a darker turn this week when Kenyan police uncovered a human trafficking network allegedly sending recruits to fight in Ukraine. Following an intelligence-led raid on an apartment complex in Athi River, just outside Nairobi, authorities rescued 22 Kenyans who were “awaiting processing to Russia.” Officers seized fake job offer letters, travel documents, and recruitment materials during the operation.
One suspect accused of coordinating the group’s travel to Russia was arrested and remains in custody for 10 days as investigations continue. Police said the victims had been promised jobs in Moscow but were instead destined for Russian-controlled combat zones. Some had paid deposits of up to $1,500 toward supposed travel and accommodation fees, with total commitments reaching $18,000 per person.
Authorities said several Kenyans who had been sent to Russia returned home injured or traumatized, while others remain unaccounted for. Two survivors recently made it back to Kenya—one of whom is currently hospitalized in Nairobi.
A senior official at Kenya’s Foreign Ministry said the government is actively investigating reports of citizens being held as prisoners of war in Ukraine. “We are pursuing diplomatic channels to ensure their safety and possible repatriation,” the official said.
Ukraine’s spokesman on prisoner-of-war issues, Petro Yatsenko, told the BBC that nationals from several other countries—including Somalia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba, and Sri Lanka—are also among those captured in Ukraine. He added that “most African states show little interest in the return of such citizens and do not wish to take them back.”
Despite the ongoing crisis, Kenya reaffirmed its commitment to signing a formal labor agreement with Russia to provide what it called “genuine job opportunities” for Kenyan workers. However, officials warned citizens to remain vigilant and avoid illegal recruitment schemes that could lead them into war zones.
themoscowtimes
