More than 200 Kenyans have joined Russian forces in the war in Ukraine, with recruitment networks still active in Kenya and Russia, Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi said Wednesday.
He said some recruits include former members of Kenya’s security services. Others rescued from the conflict zone reported being forced to assemble drones and handle chemicals without adequate training or protective gear.
President William Ruto has asked Kyiv to help secure the release of Kenyans currently held in the conflict area. Ukraine last week estimated about 1,400 African nationals are fighting alongside Russian forces, some recruited through deception.
Kenya’s embassy in Moscow has recorded injuries among Kenyan recruits, who were allegedly lured with promises of up to $18,000 to cover visas, travel, and accommodation, Mudavadi said. He also warned of rising cases of Kenyans being drawn into “forced criminality” abroad, including drug trafficking and forced labor, calling it a threat to national and global security.
In September, Kenyan authorities said they stopped more than 20 people near Nairobi who were preparing to travel to the front, and arrested a suspected local coordinator now facing prosecution. The issue has reverberated beyond Kenya: South Africa has opened an inquiry into 17 citizens found in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas, and Ukrainian officials say detainees in POW camps include nationals of Somalia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba, and Sri Lanka.
Ukraine has itself faced criticism for courting foreign volunteers, including Africans, to fight on its side—highlighting how both Moscow and Kyiv have sought manpower beyond their borders as the war grinds on.