Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi flew to Moscow to press Russian authorities to stop the clandestine recruitment of Kenyan citizens into the Russian military for the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has enlisted nationals from dozens of countries, with many reportedly deceived into thinking they were taking well‑paid civilian jobs before being forced into combat roles.
Mudavadi’s priority in Moscow is to locate and secure the repatriation of Kenyans Nairobi says were lured to Russia and subsequently deployed to fight. Kenyan intelligence estimates more than 1,000 nationals have been recruited under false pretenses and press‑ganged into military service. Local reports describe recruitment by rogue agencies and deployment to front‑line duties after minimal training.
The Kenyan Foreign Ministry said Mudavadi would seek “a safe process for their repatriation” and emphasized the government’s duty to protect citizens working abroad. A deputy minister accused Russia of using Kenyans as “cannon fodder.” Russia’s embassy in Nairobi has denied involvement, calling the claims “dangerous and misleading.”
Kenyan media have reported at least 18 nationals killed in the conflict and about 30 missing. Mudavadi is expected to push for easier access for Kenyans to Russia’s civilian job market and to meet several Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, though a meeting with President Vladimir Putin is not planned. He will also deliver a public lecture at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). Earlier this month, protesters gathered outside Kenya’s parliament to condemn the recruitment tactics.
South Africa recently secured the repatriation of 15 citizens who said they were trapped in eastern Donbas after being lured into fighting for Russia. Kyiv and media reports estimate Russia has recruited between 18,000 and 24,000 foreign nationals for its campaign; while some join through official channels, many from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East appear to have been deceived and then coerced into military contracts.
Separately, about 10,000 North Korean troops have reportedly been fighting alongside Russian forces since late 2024 under a mutual pact, operating under Russian command and often in Russian uniforms, a deployment that has drawn international condemnation.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
