Kenya will confront Russia over the clandestine recruitment of its citizens to fight in the war against Ukraine, BBC reported. Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi called the practice "unacceptable" and said Nairobi had shut down over 600 illegal recruitment agencies. The East African nation also plans to push Moscow to sign a bilateral agreement banning the conscription of Kenyan soldiers.
Kenya demands Russia stop recruiting its citizens
Mudavadi told BBC that Kenya's engagement with Russia will focus on curbing illegal recruitment. Discussions will cover visa policy and labor agreements excluding military conscription. The Kenyan government estimates around 200 of its nationals ended up fighting for Russia. None traveled through official channels.
"Kenya and Russia have had long relations since independence, literally. So this, in my view, becomes a very unfortunate episode of otherwise very positive and cordial relations between our two countries," Mudavadi told BBC.
Kenyan authorities have already closed more than 600 recruitment agencies suspected of luring citizens abroad with fake job promises, he said. So far, 27 Kenyans who fought in Russia have been repatriated. They now receive psychological care and undergo what Mudavadi described as "de-radicalize" treatment.
Families cannot bury their dead
The real number of Kenyans killed fighting for Russian forces remains unclear. Russia has not formally addressed the reports. Relatives who approached the Russian embassy in Nairobi for answers say embassy staff turned them away.
"Families that we've spoken to say they have not been able to bury their loved ones because their bodies are still on the other end," Mudavadi said, adding that some remains were found in Ukraine. Kenya now works with the Ukrainian government to repatriate them.
Pressure on the Kenyan government mounted after the recent discovery of more bodies of citizens Russia recruited. Some affected families blame Nairobi for failing to regulate and criminalize clandestine recruiters. Mudavadi rejected this criticism.
"You cannot blame the government on this," he told BBC. "Where there are illegal recruitment agencies, we have scrapped them and we continue to scrap them."
Russia's African recruitment pipeline stretches across the continent
At least 17 South African men are reportedly fighting on the front lines. South Africa first opened an investigation in November 2025 after the men sent distress calls from Donbas. Pretoria later confirmed direct talks with Moscow on repatriation.
Three South African gamers have been recruited through online gaming platforms. Russia has also targeted African women for drone factory labor under similarly fraudulent pretexts.
The pattern extends well beyond Africa. India confirmed 202 citizens served in the Russian army, with 26 killed and 7 missing. Ukraine has recently captured foreign fighters from Iraq, India, Cuba, and Ghana.
