In a significant diplomatic development, Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi has announced that Russia has formally agreed to cease the deployment of Kenyan nationals to fight in its war against Ukraine. The agreement was reached during high-level talks in Moscow between Mudavadi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Minister Mudavadi, speaking alongside his Russian counterpart, stated unequivocally: “We have now agreed that Kenyans shall not be enlisted through the Russian Ministry of Defence – they will no longer be eligible to be enlisted. There will be no further enlisting.” This commitment comes in response to a Kenyan intelligence report from February that warned over 1,000 citizens had been recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine.
The recruitment issue has been particularly contentious as numerous Kenyans have reported being deceived with promises of lucrative civilian employment, only to find themselves coerced into military service. Russian officials, including Lavrov, have maintained that all foreign recruits, including Kenyans, enlisted voluntarily “in full compliance with Russian law.”
Beyond halting future recruitment, Mudavadi is actively negotiating the repatriation of Kenyans who wish to return home. Authorities have already returned 27 citizens who had been fighting for Russia, providing them with psychological support to address trauma and facilitate de-radicalization. The exact number of Kenyan casualties remains unclear, as Russia has not formally addressed such reports.
The Kenyan government has taken domestic measures to combat the problem, closing more than 600 recruitment agencies suspected of duping citizens with false overseas job offers. Lawmakers have further alleged that rogue state officials collaborated with human trafficking networks to recruit citizens for Russian forces.
Public pressure has mounted significantly, with families of those believed to be fighting in Ukraine holding protests outside parliament in Nairobi in February, demanding government action and the return of their relatives.
Mudavadi’s visit also aims to broaden bilateral relations, with negotiations underway for an agreement that would provide Kenyans easier access to the Russian job market. “We do not want for any reason our partnership with Russia to be defined from the lenses of the special operation agenda only,” Mudavadi emphasized. “The relationship between Kenya and Russia is much broader than that.”
The issue extends beyond Kenya, with Ukrainian intelligence estimating that more than 1,700 people from 36 African countries have been recruited to fight for Russia. In a similar case, South Africa repatriated 17 citizens in February who reported being trapped in Ukraine’s Donbas region after being deceived into fighting for Russia. Ukraine itself has faced criticism for attempts to recruit foreign nationals, including Africans, to fight on its side.