Kenya protests Russia’s use of its citizens in Ukraine war

Kenya has moved to confront Russia over what it calls the covert recruitment of its citizens to fight in Ukraine, according to the BBC on February 10th.

Kenyan authorities say they will raise the issue directly with Moscow amid growing reports that Kenyan nationals are being drawn into Russia’s war effort in Ukraine through informal and illegal channels. Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi described the practice as “unacceptable and clandestine” and said Nairobi would push for firm guarantees to prevent the draft of Kenyan citizens.

Mudavadi said Kenya had already shut down hundreds of illegal recruitment agencies and would urge Russia to sign an agreement explicitly banning the enlistment of Kenyan nationals into its armed forces. The government estimates that around 200 Kenyans have been recruited to fight for Russia, though the exact number remains uncertain because none are believed to have travelled through official state-approved 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 said.

He added that talks with Moscow would focus on stopping illegal recruitment practices, including discussions on visa policies and bilateral labour agreements that clearly exclude military service. Kenyan authorities, he said, have closed more than 600 recruitment agencies suspected of misleading young Kenyans with promises of overseas employment.

So far, 27 Kenyans who had been fighting in Russia have been repatriated. Mudavadi said they are receiving psychological support to address trauma and “de-radicalise” them.

The number of Kenyans killed while fighting for Russian forces remains unclear. Russia has not formally responded to the allegations, and relatives seeking answers at the Russian embassy in Nairobi say they have been turned 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.

“It is difficult because, remember, it depends on where the body has been found. There some have been found in Ukraine – we are also working with the government of Ukraine to try and get the remains of those people repatriated.”

Pressure has mounted on the Kenyan government following reports of additional deaths. Some families blame Nairobi for failing to criminalise clandestine recruitment, a claim Mudavadi rejects. “You cannot blame the government on this,” he said. “Where there are illegal recruitment agencies, we have scrapped them and we continue to scrap them.”

Ukrainian intelligence estimates that more than 1,400 Africans from 36 countries have been recruited to fight for Russia, while Kyiv has also faced criticism over attempts to recruit foreign fighters. Ukrainian officials warn that anyone fighting for Russia will be treated as an enemy combatant and that surrender remains the only safe way out.

BBC, Maghrebi.org