Intelligence Report: Over 1,000 Kenyans Recruited to Fight for Russia

A Kenyan intelligence report reveals more than 1,000 Kenyan citizens have been recruited to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, five times higher than previous estimates. The report describes a network involving corrupt officials and human trafficking syndicates that targeted former soldiers and unemployed individuals with promises of high pay.

A Kenyan intelligence assessment delivered to lawmakers this week reveals that more than 1,000 citizens from Kenya have been enlisted to serve with Russian forces in the Ukraine conflict, representing a dramatic increase from earlier government estimates.

The Russian Embassy in Nairobi rejected claims Thursday that Moscow was conducting illegal recruitment of Kenyan nationals for the Ukraine war, while acknowledging that foreign nationals may voluntarily enlist in Russian military service.

Parliament Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah presented the National Intelligence Service findings to legislators Wednesday, outlining how corrupt government employees worked alongside human trafficking operations to enlist Kenyans for Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.

The recruitment scheme focused on ex-military personnel, former police officers, and jobless individuals, offering monthly wages of approximately 350,000 shillings ($2,715) plus potential bonuses reaching 1.2 million shillings ($9,309).

“So far over 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited and departed to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war,” Ichung’wah stated.

Kenyan officials reported in November that more than 200 of their nationals were serving with Russian forces in Ukraine.

During that same period, Ukrainian authorities indicated roughly 1,400 people from 36 African nations were fighting with Russian troops on Ukrainian soil, with some enlisted through fraudulent means.

According to the latest intelligence assessment, as of February 2024, 89 Kenyans remained active on Ukraine’s front lines, 39 were receiving medical treatment, and 28 were listed as missing in action.

The report detailed how recruits initially departed Kenya using tourist documentation, traveling to Russia through Turkey or the United Arab Emirates. When Kenyan authorities increased security measures at Nairobi’s airport, the recruitment network shifted operations to routes through Uganda, South Africa, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The intelligence findings indicated that recruitment organizations worked with dishonest Kenyan airport personnel, immigration officers, and other government employees, along with staff from Russia’s Nairobi embassy and Kenya’s Moscow embassy to enable the recruits’ travel.

The Russian Embassy in Kenya issued a statement declaring: “The government authorities of Russia have never engaged in illegal recruitment of Kenyan citizens in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.”

Embassy officials stated they had not provided visas to Kenyan nationals seeking to travel to Russia “with the stated purpose of participating in the Special Military Operation (SMO) in Ukraine,” while noting that Russian legislation permits foreign citizens to voluntarily join its armed forces.

A spokesperson for Kenya’s Foreign Ministry was unavailable for immediate comment about its Moscow embassy’s involvement.

Incidents of African men being deceived into traveling to Russia with promises of security work only to end up fighting in Ukraine have increased in recent months, straining diplomatic relations between Moscow and several affected nations.

Four South African nationals who became trapped in Ukraine’s Donbas region returned home Wednesday, representing part of a group of 17 who contacted their government for assistance last year.

Kenya’s foreign ministry announced last week that 27 Kenyan citizens had been rescued after becoming stranded in Russia. Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi has indicated plans to travel to Russia next month for discussions regarding this issue.