Kenya Pushes To Rescue Citizens From Ukraine War Recruitment
Kenya says Russia has agreed to stop taking Kenyan citizens to fight in the war in Ukraine, after growing concern from families and officials in Nairobi.
The announcement came during talks in Moscow between Kenya’s foreign minister, Musalia Mudavadi, and Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov.
Speaking after the meeting, Mudavadi said the issue had now been settled.
“I want to make it clear that 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,” Mudavadi said. “There will no further enlisting.”
Kenyan authorities say the move comes after warnings that large numbers of citizens had already joined the war. An intelligence report released in February said more than 1,000 Kenyans had been recruited to fight for Russia in the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia did not directly confirm the agreement during the meeting. However, Lavrov said foreigners who joined Russian forces did so willingly.
“All Kenyans – and citizens of other countries – had enlisted voluntarily to fight for Russia in full compliance with Russian law, which also provides for the possibility of early termination of the contract,” he said.
Some Kenyans who returned home have told a different story. They said they traveled to Russia believing they would get well-paid civilian jobs, but later found themselves pushed into military service connected to the war.
The Kenyan government is now working to bring back citizens who want to leave the battlefield.
So far, 27 Kenyans have been returned to the country. Officials say the returnees are receiving psychological support to help them deal with trauma from the conflict.
At home, anger has been rising. Families who believe their relatives are still fighting gathered outside parliament in Nairobi earlier this year, asking the government to act and help bring their loved ones back.
Kenyan authorities have also been cracking down on recruitment networks. Mudavadi said more than 600 agencies suspected of tricking people with promises of jobs abroad have been shut down.
Lawmakers have warned that some corrupt officials may have worked with trafficking groups to send Kenyans into the war.
It remains unclear how many Kenyan fighters may have died while serving with Russian forces. Families who went to the Russian embassy in Nairobi searching for answers say they were turned away.
Despite the dispute, Kenya says it still wants strong ties with Russia. During his visit, Mudavadi is also discussing ways for Kenyans to work legally in Russia.
“We do not want for any reason our partnership with Russia to be defined from the lenses of the special operation [in Ukraine] agenda only,” Mudavadi said. “The relationship between Kenya and Russia is much more broader than that.”
Security officials say the issue is part of a wider trend. Ukrainian intelligence estimates that more than 1,700 people from 36 African countries have been recruited to fight for Russia since the war began.
The war started after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.