More than 1,000 Kenyans have travelled to join the Russian military in its ongoing war in Ukraine, many allegedly deceived into signing combat contracts under the guise of lucrative job offers, according to an intelligence report tabled before Parliament.
The findings, presented on Tuesday following a joint investigation by Kenya’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), mark a sharp increase from the “around 200” recruits previously acknowledged by authorities in December.
Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah told lawmakers that the recruits typically exit Kenya on tourist visas, transiting through Istanbul, Turkey, and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, before proceeding to Russia. However, heightened surveillance and border enforcement at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport have forced some prospective recruits to reroute through other African countries to avoid detection.
Ichung’wah alleged that unlicensed recruitment agencies operating within Kenya were collaborating with rogue airport personnel to facilitate the departures.
According to the report, at least 39 Kenyans are currently hospitalised, 28 have been declared missing in action, and 89 are actively deployed on the front lines in Ukraine.
The revelations come amid mounting international scrutiny over Moscow’s recruitment drive across Africa. Investigations by several media outlets, including a recent report by AFP, have documented how individuals from African countries are lured with promises of high-paying employment opportunities, only to find themselves enlisted in combat roles.
Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, is scheduled to visit Moscow next month to engage Russian authorities on the matter. The Kenyan government has strongly condemned what it described as the exploitation of its citizens as “cannon fodder” in the conflict.
Uganda and South Africa have also been identified among African nations targeted in Russia’s recruitment efforts, as Moscow grapples with sustained casualties in the protracted war in Ukraine.
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