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“Promised $18,000 for Work”: Kenyans Deceived Into Fighting for Russia, Officials Say
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Kenya announced that more than 200 of its citizens are fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, warning that recruitment networks remain active and continue to target Kenyans for deployment.
According to Reuters on November 12, Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs echoed these concerns, stating: “Recruitment exercises in Russia have reportedly expanded to include African nationals, including Kenyans.”
The ministry added that “over two hundred Kenyans may have joined the Russian military... recruitment networks are still active in both Kenya and Russia.” Moscow’s embassy in Nairobi did not respond to a request for comment.
Kenya’s embassy in Moscow has documented injuries among Kenyan recruits, who were allegedly promised payments of up to $18,000 to cover visa, travel, and accommodation costs.
In September, a security operation outside Nairobi rescued 21 Kenyans who were being prepared for deployment to the front. One individual was arrested and now faces prosecution.
According to the ministry, the rescued individuals had been misled about the nature of the work, believing they were recruited for non-combat tasks such as assembling drones, handling chemicals, or painting.
At the same time, Russia is expanding its economic engagement with Kenya in what Ukrainian officials say is an attempt to strengthen Moscow’s political influence in East Africa—and to leverage those ties as a cover for recruiting African nationals to fight against Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation noted that Moscow is increasingly integrating its trade and infrastructure plans with Kenya’s development priorities, holding talks on new commercial agreements, transport routes, and investment projects that would grant Russian companies greater access to East African ports and regional markets.
Earlier, seventeen South Africans were lured to eastern Ukraine under false pretenses and forced into combat roles.
The group, aged 20 to 39, had allegedly been offered high-paying jobs but instead ended up in the Donbas region President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed authorities to investigate the recruitment scheme and identify those behind it.
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