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Kenya Secures Deal With Russia to Halt Recruitment of Kenyans for War in Ukraine
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Kenya and Russia have agreed that Kenyan citizens will no longer be eligible to enlist in the Russian army for the war against Ukraine, after reports that large numbers of Kenyans had been recruited to fight, Reuters reported on March 17.
The decision was announced after Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. Mudavadi said the two sides discussed the situation of Kenyan nationals in Russia, including those involved war in Ukraine.
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“And I want to make it clear that we have now agreed that Kenyans shall not be enlisted through the (Russian) Ministry of Defense—they will no longer be eligible to be enlisted,” Mudavadi said at a joint press briefing with Lavrov. “There will no further enlisting.”
Kenyan authorities say more than 1,000 citizens have been recruited by Russia, reportedly drawn by monthly salaries worth several thousand dollars and bonuses of more than $6,000 offered to contract soldiers.
Mudavadi said the government had faced growing pressure from families of those who had traveled to Russia to fight.
“We want Kenyans stopped—they should not be enlisted at all,” Mudavadi said before the trip to Moscow, according to Reuters. “We are getting a lot of pressure from some of the affected families who are now gathering more courage to come forward and speak to the issue.”
He added that consular assistance will be provided through diplomatic channels to Kenyan citizens who have already signed contracts and may require support.
Lavrov said that Kenyan nationals who joined the Russian army did so voluntarily, as reported by Reuters. The exact number of African citizens fighting on Russia’s side is unclear, though Ukrainian officials estimate that more than 1,700 Africans have been recruited.
The recruitment of Kenyan nationals comes amid broader efforts by Russia to expand its political and economic presence in East Africa. Moscow has been increasing cooperation with Kenya as part of what Ukrainian officials describe as a wider strategy to strengthen its influence in the region and use these ties to facilitate the recruitment of African nationals for the war against Ukraine, according to a statement by Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD).
The CCD said Russia has begun coordinating trade and infrastructure projects with Kenya’s national development plans, holding talks on new commercial agreements, transport routes, and investment initiatives that could allow Russian companies greater access to East African ports and regional markets.
Experts cited by the Center said the Kremlin’s growing presence in the region goes beyond economic interests and reflects a wider geopolitical strategy aimed at increasing dependence on Russian resources and securing influence over key logistics hubs in Africa.
“The Kremlin seeks to mobilize the economic, informational, and human resources of African nations to advance its own aggressive goals,” the Center said. “Moscow uses trade and so-called humanitarian contacts as a cover for recruiting citizens of the Global South to fight in its war against Ukraine.”
The consequences of this recruitment have already been visible on the battlefield, where Ukrainian intelligence says several Kenyan fighters have been killed.
The bodies of two Kenyan nationals recruited by Russia to fight in the war against Ukraine were found near the city of Lyman in the Donetsk region, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) reported.
According to HUR, the dead were identified as Ombwori Denis Bagaka, born in 1987, and Wahome Simon Gititu, born in 1991. Their remains were found near the body of another Kenyan mercenary, Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, whose death had been reported earlier by Ukrainian intelligence.
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