NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 19 – The Russian Embassy in Nairobi says Kenyans are free to join the Russian Armed Forces if they choose, denying any role in recruiting for the ongoing Russia–Ukraine conflict.
In a statement released Thursday, the Embassy emphasized that it has never processed visas or facilitated the travel of Kenyan citizens seeking to fight in Ukraine, describing reports linking it to recruitment as a “dangerous and misleading propaganda campaign.”
“At no point in time throughout the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, the Embassy ever issued visas to Kenyan citizens who sought to travel to Russia with the stated purpose of participating in the Special Military Operation,” the statement said, referring to Moscow’s term for the war.
The Embassy also rejected allegations that it encouraged or colluded with individuals or rogue networks to lure Kenyans into combat.
It however maintained that Russia’s legal framework permits foreign nationals legally in the country to enlist voluntarily in its armed forces.
“It must be understood that the legislation of the Russian Federation does not preclude citizens of foreign countries from voluntarily enlisting in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, if they stay in Russia on a legal basis and choose to take part in the battle against the NATO-backed Ukrainian Nazism shoulder to shoulder with Russian servicemen,” the Embassy stated.
The Embassy reaffirmed its openness to “constructive and depoliticized dialogue” with the Kenyan government and called for the finalization of bilateral agreements on labour migration, travel arrangements, and security cooperation.
“Their soonest finalization would be of great benefit in establishing due framework for Russia–Kenya collaboration on this and other matters,” the statement said.
Explosive findings
The remarks come amid explosive findings by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which uncovered an extensive network allegedly facilitating the recruitment and trafficking of Kenyans to fight in Ukraine.
Presenting the report in the National Assembly, Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah said rogue officials in the Directorate of Immigration Services, the DCI, and the National Employment Authority enabled recruits to travel undetected through airports.
The report also implicated personnel at diplomatic missions, including the Russian Embassy in Nairobi and Kenya’s Embassy in Moscow, in issuing visas and facilitating movement.
“The ongoing Russia–Ukraine war continues to trigger the recruitment of foreign fighters by the Russian military through rogue recruitment agencies and individuals in Kenya,” Ichung’wah told Parliament.
The report estimates that over 1,000 Kenyans may have been recruited, many lured by promises of high salaries, bonuses, and foreign citizenship.
Some were offered monthly pay of up to Sh350,000, with bonuses as high as Sh1.2 million, but were deployed to military camps after as little as three weeks of training.
The NIS–DCI findings detail grim outcomes for recruited Kenyans, including hospitalization, disappearance, repatriation, or deployment to front-line combat, with at least one confirmed death as of February 2026.
Authorities have frozen bank accounts linked to suspects and recovered passports, contracts, phones, laptops, and other evidence.
The controversy intensified after Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence identified several Kenyan nationals killed while fighting for Russian forces, allegedly after being misled by fake job offers.
Government officials, including Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, have urged young people to verify overseas job opportunities through licensed agencies and government portals.
Mutua warned against travelling on tourist visas for work and urged parents and communities to scrutinize offers to prevent youth from falling victim to criminal networks or foreign conflicts.
