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Kenyan FM Plans Moscow Trip to Stop Russia Recruiting Its Citizens for War in Ukraine
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Kenya’s foreign minister, Musalia Mudavadi, said he intends to travel to Moscow in an effort to halt the continued recruitment of Kenyan citizens to fight for Russia in its full-scale war against Ukraine, according to The Moscow Times on February 10.
“We have seen loss of lives, and I am planning to make a visit to Moscow so that we can emphasize that is something that needs to be arrested,” Mudavadi told reporters. He did not provide a timeline for the trip, and Russian officials have not publicly responded.
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Kenyan authorities previously estimated that roughly 200 citizens had been recruited to fight for Russia, most of them leaving the country through informal or deceptive channels, as reported by the BBC. Officials believe the real number could be significantly higher.
Ukrainian intelligence, meanwhile, says Russia has drawn more than 1,400 recruits from 36 African countries into its military ranks. Moscow has repeatedly denied enlisting foreign fighters for the war.
Mudavadi added that more than 30 Kenyans had been evacuated from Russia in the past two months, while about 600 recruitment agencies accused of luring citizens abroad with false job promises have been shut down.
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The minister said Nairobi will also seek the release of Kenyans captured as prisoners of war in Ukraine and assess the condition of those currently hospitalized.
In comments to the BBC, Mudavadi noted that Kenya plans to push for tighter controls on illegal recruitment through discussions on visa rules and bilateral labor agreements that would explicitly prohibit military enlistment abroad.
He also said returning fighters are receiving psychological support aimed at addressing trauma and helping “de-radicalize” those affected by their experience.
Earlier, the bodies of two more Kenyan nationals recruited by Russia to fight against Ukraine were found near the city of Lyman in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
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