Kenya has announced plans to engage Russia over the recruitment of Kenyan citizens to fight in the war in Ukraine.
Speaking to the BBC, Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi described the practice as “unacceptable and clandestine,” noting that the government has already shut down illegal recruitment operations. He added that Nairobi will push Moscow to sign an agreement banning the conscription of Kenyan soldiers.
The government estimates that roughly 200 Kenyans have been recruited to fight for Russia, though the exact number remains unclear, as none are believed to have 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 added.
He told the BBC that Kenya’s engagement with Russia will focus on stopping illegal recruitment, including discussions on visa policies and bilateral labour agreements, but will not cover military conscription.
Mudavadi revealed that Kenyan authorities have already shut down more than 600 recruitment agencies suspected of luring citizens with false promises of overseas jobs.
So far, 27 Kenyans who had been fighting in Russia have been repatriated, with the government providing psychological support to address trauma and assist in their “de-radicalisation,” he said.
The number of Kenyans who may have died fighting for Russian forces remains unclear, and Russia has not formally responded to reports on the matter.
Relatives who have approached the Russian embassy in Nairobi for information 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. 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 been growing on the Kenyan government following the recent discovery of more bodies of citizens recruited to fight for Russian forces. Some families have told the BBC that they hold the government responsible for failing to regulate and criminalize clandestine recruitment agencies.
However, the Foreign Minister rejected these claims.
“You cannot blame the government on this,” Mudavadi told the BBC. “Where there are illegal recruitment agencies, we have scrapped them and we continue to scrap them.”
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