Kenya’s foreign minister, Musalia Mudavadi, said in Moscow that officials have pledged to stop Kenyans being coerced into joining the Russian military and are preparing to repatriate those who were lured to Russia under false pretenses. Mudavadi told reporters that roughly 1,000 Kenyans traveled to Russia after being promised well-paid civilian jobs but subsequently found themselves forcibly conscripted to take part in the invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking after talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Mudavadi said the two sides agreed that Kenyans “will no longer be eligible to be enlisted” in the “special operation,” Moscow’s term for the war, and that they would cooperate on returning citizens who had been deceived.
The matter provoked intense reaction in Kenya after a February intelligence report estimated about 1,000 Kenyans were fighting for Russia—around five times earlier estimates. The findings sparked public outrage and prompted Mudavadi’s deputy, Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, to call for an immediate end to what he described as the “unacceptable” use of Kenyans as “cannon fodder.”
Lavrov said those Kenyans had joined voluntarily but voiced support for the new measures. Mudavadi emphasized the issue would not derail broader Kenya–Russia cooperation.
The development comes amid wider reports of Russia recruiting foreign fighters, many of whom say they were tricked. Earlier this year South Africa repatriated 15 citizens from the Donbas who said they had been lured there, and Nepal stopped issuing exit documents for citizens intending to work in Russia. Reports also suggest tens of thousands of North Koreans are fighting for Russia, with some alleging slavery-like conditions.
Edited by Alex Berry