A report from Kenyan intelligence, released Wednesday, revealed that over 1,000 Kenyans were recruited in Russia under the promise of good employment, only to find themselves on the brutal battlefields of Ukraine.
National Assembly Leader Kimani Ichunwa accused officials at the Russian embassy of complicity in this scheme, stating they provided tourist visas to lure victims to Russia under false job pretenses. Ichunwa indicated that “rogue recruitment agencies and individuals in Kenya” are still involved in sending people into the conflict.
“These rogue agencies are specifically targeting former military personnel, ex-police officers, and civilians who are desperate for job opportunities,” he noted. He also highlighted the involvement of “rogue airport officials” and immigration personnel in this recruitment process.
A report by the Kenya National Intelligence Service indicated that 89 Kenyans are currently engaged in combat in Ukraine, with 39 hospitalized, 28 reported missing, and one confirmed dead.
On Thursday, 35 families of Kenyans who were tricked into fighting for Russia gathered to urge their government to take action in bringing their missing relatives home. Many were seen holding placards featuring photos of their loved ones in Nairobi.
Protester Winnie Rose Wambui shared that her brother, Samuel Maina, was enticed by the promise of a security guard position at a shopping mall. “We need to find out any information about our brother, whether he’s dead, alive, or injured,” she said.
Wambui mentioned that the last message she received from him was a distress voice note sent from a remote location on October 31.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs isn’t helping us. We were advised to reach out to the Kenyan embassy in Moscow for any inquiries,” she added.
“It’s deeply troubling that unscrupulous agents are exploiting Kenya’s unemployment crisis to take advantage of our people. We can’t go to Russia, so we are calling on our government to act and ensure the safe return of our children,” said Peter Kamau, who also has a missing brother.
Allegations of Kenyans being deceived into fighting for Russia first emerged some time ago; however, the number of missing individuals at that time was significantly lower. Initially, Kenya’s foreign minister estimated that “over 200 Kenyans may have joined the Russian military,” but a new intelligence report suggests the figure exceeds five times that amount.
In September 2025, Nairobi police disrupted a human trafficking operation accused of luring Kenyans to Russia with fake job offers. The Kenya Directorate of Criminal Investigations reported rescuing 21 Kenyan men who were “waiting to be processed in Russia.”
One of the rescued individuals recounted, “We were preparing to leave for Russia when the detectives arrived. We were in the process of signing papers,” believing they were applying for high-paying jobs with salaries exceeding $1,900.
One individual alleged to be involved in the recruitment ring was reportedly an employee of the Russian embassy in Nairobi named Mikhail Lyapin. The embassy insisted that he worked as a private businessman and denied any connection to government services. Lyapin was reportedly expelled from Kenya and sent back to Russia for trial.
Last week, the Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi condemned Russia’s recruitment efforts, calling them “unacceptable and carried out secretly.” He stated that during his upcoming visit to Russia, he would demand a commitment to cease the recruitment of Kenyan soldiers.
“Kenya and Russia have shared a long-standing relationship since independence, so this situation is, in our view, a significant setback for our positive ties,” he said.
Kenyan authorities have shut down over 600 recruitment agencies accused of enticing Kenyans abroad with false job offers, according to Mudavadi.
Ichunwa noted that Kenyan officials have heightened surveillance at airports to combat these scams, but recruiters have adapted by instructing victims to travel to other African nations to avoid detection. Many of these victims enter Russia through Istanbul or Abu Dhabi on tourist visas.
The Russian Embassy in Nairobi denied the allegations regarding recruitment, asserting that it has never issued visas specifically for foreign recruits to fight in Ukraine, though it did acknowledge that “foreign nationals are not prevented from voluntarily joining the armed forces.”
Kenya’s claims mirror those from other nations, including India, Uganda, South Africa, and Cuba. In July 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly secured a promise from Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the recruitment of Indian nationals in Ukraine, following a major controversy over illegal enlistment in India.
A scandal involving the recruitment of South Africans by Russia made headlines in December, particularly involving former president Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, who claimed to have been unwittingly caught up in the scheme by Russian recruiters supposedly seeking South Africans for overseas jobs.
