Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi announced Tuesday he plans to travel to Moscow next month to address mounting reports that Kenyan citizens are being lured to Russia with promises of lucrative jobs only to end up forced into military service in the Russia-Ukraine war; a practice Nairobi has sharply condemned as “unacceptable” and likened to using its nationals as “cannon fodder.”
The announcement comes amid growing concern in Nairobi over recruitment networks in Kenya that allegedly entice young men with false employment offers in Russia, only for them to be swiftly inducted into Russian military ranks and sent to front lines in Ukraine. Kenyan officials estimate that roughly 200 of their citizens have been recruited through unofficial channels, though the exact figure remains unclear.
Mudavadi speaking in Nairobi, he said his planned visit to Moscow aims to directly engage Russian authorities to prevent further illegal recruitment and to push for agreements that explicitly bar the enlistment of Kenyan nationals into the conflict. “We have seen loss of lives, and I am planning to make a visit to Moscow so that we can emphasise that this is something that needs to be arrested,” he told reporters.
The trip is also expected to focus on securing the release of Kenyans held as prisoners of war and to verify the condition of those hospitalised after being drawn into the fighting, Mudavadi added. Kenyan officials say more than 30 citizens have already been evacuated from Russia over the past two months as part of government-led repatriation efforts.
In recent weeks, reports from multiple investigations have highlighted cases in which Kenyans with no military background were given contracts, sometimes written in Russian they did not fully understand and then rapidly deployed into combat zones. Some returnees have reported severe injuries and hazardous duties, including assembling drones without training or proper equipment.
The Kenyan government has taken steps domestically to shut down unscrupulous recruitment agencies and warn citizens about the risks of travelling abroad without verifying employment offers through official channels. Mudavadi described the recruitment of Kenyans into a war they did not sign up for as a “very unfortunate episode” in bilateral ties, stressing that the practice jeopardises both individuals and international relations.
Junior foreign minister Korir Sing’Oei echoed the criticism, calling it unacceptable that Kenyans were being used on the war front, and reiterated that no Kenyan would voluntarily enter such engagements under false pretences.
Relations between Kenya and Russia have historically been cordial across diplomatic and trade fronts, but the latest developments have introduced a new flashpoint. Mudavadi’s visit will test Nairobi’s ability to balance the pursuit of citizen protection with managing ties to a powerful global actor.
Analysts say the issue also highlights broader concerns about recruitment networks targeting nationals from poorer countries in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, with authorities from several African nations raising alarms about their citizens being misled or coerced into military service.