- Category
- Latest news
Kenyan Families Urge Government to Stop Citizens Joining Russia’s War in Ukraine
- Authors
![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Families of Kenyan nationals recruited to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine have petitioned the Kenyan parliament to halt the recruitment of citizens and help bring those already deployed back home, according to The Associated Press on March 5.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
Relatives gathered in the capital, Nairobi, holding photographs of their sons and marching through the streets while calling on authorities to intervene. Protesters carried a large banner reading: “KENYANS AND FAMILIES DEMAND JUSTICE FOR THEIR SONS RECRUITED INTO RUSSIA MILITARY.”
According to The Associated Press, Kenyan officials say more than 1,000 Kenyan nationals were recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine. The government confirmed that at least 89 Kenyans remain on the front line, while 39 have been hospitalized, 28 are missing in action, and one death has been officially recorded. Several others have returned to Kenya.
Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi told The Associated Press last month that he plans to travel to Russia as part of what he described as a “diplomatic approach to rein in” those who are “taking advantage of anyone in this misadventure.”
The issue has also reached Ukrainian authorities. According to The Associated Press, Ukraine’s ambassador to Kenya, Yurii Tokar, confirmed that one Kenyan national is currently held as a prisoner of war in Ukraine.
He noted that under the Geneva Conventions, prisoners of war are typically released at the end of a conflict, although Ukraine and Russia have conducted several prisoner exchanges during the war.
Families say some of their relatives may be among those captured. Lamech Mboga told The Associated Press that his brother traveled to Russia in August 2025 and believes he is now being held as a prisoner of war in Ukraine.
According to The Associated Press, an intelligence report presented to Kenya’s parliament alleged that recruitment agencies worked with Kenyan and Russian officials to lure citizens with promises of employment in Russia before sending them to the battlefield in Ukraine.
The families who submitted the petition to parliament called for criminal investigations and prosecutions, stating that those responsible may be liable for “human trafficking, forced recruitment, and possible violations of international humanitarian and labor laws.”
Authorities in Kenya have already charged two individuals with human trafficking in connection with the recruitment scheme, according to The Associated Press.
The case reflects a broader pattern of foreign nationals being recruited to support Russian military operations in Ukraine, with several governments raising concerns about citizens being misled into joining the war under the guise of civilian work opportunities.
Earlier, Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa visited Kyiv and urged Ukrainian authorities to release two Ghanaian nationals captured while fighting for Russian forces, according to Bloomberg.
-9a7b3a98ed5c506e0b77a6663f5727c5.png)
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
