The government of Kenya says Russia has agreed to stop recruiting Kenyan nationals to fight in the war in Ukrainefollowing diplomatic talks held in Moscow.
Kenya’s Foreign Minister, Musalia Mudavadi, announced the development after meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov.
Speaking alongside Lavrov, Mudavadi said both countries had reached an understanding that Kenyan citizens would no longer be enlisted through Russia’s defence structures.
“They will no longer be eligible to be enlisted,” he said.
Lavrov did not directly address the agreement but maintained that all foreign fighters currently serving with Russian forces joined voluntarily.
According to him, they had done so “in full compliance with Russian law”.
The issue gained attention earlier this year after Kenyan intelligence reports indicated that more than 1,000 Kenyan nationals may have been recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine.
Some Kenyans who travelled abroad said they were misled with promises of well-paid civilian jobs, only to discover later that they had been sent to the battlefield.
Mudavadi has also been pushing for the repatriation of Kenyans currently involved in the conflict who wish to return home.
Earlier, he told the BBC that Kenyan authorities had shut down more than 600 recruitment agencies suspected of deceiving citizens with false overseas job offers.
Lawmakers in Kenya have also alleged that some rogue officials collaborated with human-trafficking networks to facilitate the recruitment of Kenyans to fight in the war.
So far, 27 Kenyan nationals who had joined Russian forces have been repatriated.
According to Mudavadi, authorities are providing psychological support to those returning home in order to help address trauma and assist in their rehabilitation.
However, the exact number of Kenyans who may have died while fighting remains unclear, and Russian authorities have not formally confirmed such reports.
Families seeking information have reportedly approached the Russian embassy in Nairobi but say they were unable to obtain clear answers.
Public pressure has also been mounting. In February, relatives of Kenyans believed to be involved in the conflict staged protests outside parliament in Nairobi, demanding government action and the safe return of their family members.
During his visit to Moscow, Mudavadi is also expected to negotiate agreements aimed at improving employment opportunities for Kenyans 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,” he said. “The relationship between Kenya and Russia is much more broader than that.”
Estimates from Ukrainian intelligence suggest that more than 1,700 people from 36 African countries have been recruited to fight for Russian forces since the conflict began.
Earlier this year, South Africa repatriated 17 citizens who said they had been trapped in Ukraine’s Donbas after being deceived into joining Russian forces.
Ukraine itself has also faced criticism in the past for attempting to recruit foreign fighters, including Africans, to support its own military efforts.
The developments highlight growing concerns across Africa about recruitment networks linked to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
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