More than 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited to fight for Russia in the war against Ukraine, according to a confidential intelligence report presented to Kenya’s parliament this week.
The report, compiled by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), alleges the existence of an organised recruitment network involving rogue state officials working alongside human trafficking syndicates. It says at least 89 Kenyans were deployed on the front lines as of February, with dozens more sent to military camps inside Russia.
At least one Kenyan national has been killed in combat, while others have returned home injured or psychologically traumatised, according to the report. Thirty-nine recruits are reported injured and 28 remain missing.
The Kenyan government had previously estimated that around 200 of its citizens had been recruited, but the new findings suggest the figure is significantly higher. Nairobi has urged Moscow to bar the conscription of Kenyan nationals.
Presenting the findings to lawmakers, parliamentary majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah described the revelations as “deeply disturbing,” accusing recruitment agencies of colluding with corrupt officials across multiple government departments. These allegedly include airport staff, immigration officers, officers at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, anti-narcotics units and the National Employment Authority.
The report also alleges that recruitment networks worked with staff at both the Russian embassy in Nairobi and the Kenyan embassy in Moscow to facilitate visas and travel arrangements. Ichung’wah said Kenya’s ambassador to Russia must identify any embassy officials involved, stressing that diplomatic missions “must be places of refuge, not exploitation.”
In response, the Russian embassy in Nairobi rejected the allegations as “dangerous and misleading,” insisting that it has never issued visas for the purpose of participating in what it calls Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. The embassy said it does not recruit foreign nationals, but noted that Russian law allows foreigners legally present in the country to enlist voluntarily.
According to the NIS report, recruiters primarily target unemployed Kenyans, former soldiers and ex-police officers aged between 20 and 50. Victims are lured with promises of well-paid security jobs, offering monthly salaries of up to 350,000 Kenyan shillings ($2,400), along with large signing bonuses.
However, many recruits reportedly find themselves deployed directly to combat roles after minimal training. Lawmakers were told some received as little as three weeks of instruction, while others underwent just nine days of weapons and explosives training before being sent to the front lines.
Initially, recruits travelled from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport using tourist visas, transiting through Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. As scrutiny increased, traffickers allegedly shifted routes through South Africa, Uganda and other neighbouring countries.
Authorities say several suspects, including an alleged ringleader, are under active investigation, with further arrests expected. The report also identified recruitment agencies and medical facilities used in the operation.
Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi said more than 600 recruitment agencies suspected of deceiving job-seekers had been shut down. He said Kenya was working with Russia to curb illegal recruitment, including talks on visa policy and labour agreements explicitly excluding military service.
Mudavadi said 27 Kenyans who had been fighting in Russia have so far been repatriated, with the government providing psychological support to address trauma and aid reintegration. He is due to visit Moscow next month to raise the issue formally.
The revelations come amid growing international concern over the recruitment of foreign nationals into the war. Ukraine has previously said more than 1,400 Africans from 36 countries have been enlisted by Russian forces, while Kyiv itself has faced criticism over attempts to recruit foreign fighters.
Ukrainian officials have warned that anyone fighting for Russia will be treated as an enemy combatant, adding that surrender is the only safe way out of the conflict.