Mudavadi: 252 Kenyans Fighting For Russia, 2 Held As POWs In Ukraine

By Suleiman Mbatiah

At least 252 Kenyans have been recruited into Russian military operations linked to the war in Ukraine, with some believed to be former officers drawn from Kenya’s disciplined services.

Officials say some of those enlisted previously served in the Kenya Defence Forces, National Police Service, National Youth Service and the Kenya Prisons Service, raising serious questions over how trained personnel became involved in a foreign conflict.

According to Kenya’s diplomatic mission in Moscow, forty four Kenyans who had joined the Russian military operations have already been safely repatriated back home through diplomatic intervention.

However, another thirty eight Kenyan nationals remain hospitalised in various Russian medical facilities after sustaining injuries during combat operations linked to the Russia Ukraine conflict, with Kenyan officials still facing restricted consular access.

Authorities have also confirmed that ten Kenyan nationals have either been reported missing in action or killed in action, with the government currently seeking their next of kin to facilitate compensation arrangements.

Meanwhile, about one hundred and sixty Kenyan nationals are believed to still be actively involved in Russia’s Special Military Operations, deepening concerns within Nairobi over their safety, legal status and possible exploitation.

The situation has also complicated diplomatic efforts after two Kenyans were captured in the conflict and are currently being held by Ukrainian authorities as prisoners of war.

The two have been identified as Evans Kibet and Macharia Willis Muniu, with Kenya now requesting diplomatic arrangements that could see them transferred to Russia to facilitate their eventual repatriation back home.

The issue dominated bilateral consultations in Moscow where Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi held talks with Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov during his official visit.

Mudavadi described the recruitment of Kenyan nationals into Russia’s Special Military Operations as an urgent diplomatic concern, urging Moscow to halt further enlistment and facilitate safe disengagement of those currently serving.

“Kenya has requested the immediate halt of recruitment of our nationals into the Russian Special Military Operations and called for disengagement of those currently serving,” Mudavadi said during the consultations.

He also reminded Russian authorities that enlistment of Kenyan citizens into foreign armed forces without presidential authorization is illegal under Section 68 of the Penal Code and attracts penalties of up to ten years imprisonment.

Mudavadi further requested Russian authorities to grant Kenyan officials full consular access to nationals admitted in hospitals and other civilian facilities to support treatment coordination and possible evacuation.

In response, Russian authorities agreed to facilitate consular access to Kenyan nationals receiving treatment and to support the repatriation of injured fighters as well as the dignified return of the deceased.

“We have agreed to place Kenya on the stop list for enlistment into the Special Military Operations and will cooperate with Nairobi on disengagement and compensation procedures,” Lavrov said following the talks.

Russia also indicated willingness to support the repatriation of remains of deceased Kenyans, subject to logistical arrangements including the availability of direct air transport between Russia and Kenya.

Both governments additionally agreed to begin sharing intelligence aimed at disrupting human trafficking and smuggling networks suspected of recruiting Kenyan nationals into the ongoing war.