NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 28 — Kenyan authorities are intensifying efforts to uncover the details behind an alleged human trafficking network that recruited youths to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is actively investigating those responsible.
“On matters related to Russia and our citizens there, we are doing a lot to get to the bottom of this,” IG Kanja said.
“The DCI is very busy in that direction. At the end of the day, we will know who did what. Any person who has committed a crime will have a day in court.”
The announcement comes after the arraignment of 33-year-old Festus Arasa Omwamba, a director at Global Face Limited, who is accused of recruiting 22 Kenyan youths and facilitating their travel to Russia under false pretenses.
Omwamba appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage at the Kahawa Law Courts on Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to charges of human trafficking and exploitation.
Prosecutors allege that between December 1, 2024, and September 24, 2025, Omwamba, in coordination with another individual already facing charges, lured young Kenyans with promises of legitimate overseas employment.
Instead, some of the recruits were deployed to the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine conflict after minimal military training.
Prosecuting counsel Kennedy Amwayi told the court that 22 victims were rescued in Athi River on September 24, 2025.
Three other individuals who had already travelled to Russia were reportedly deployed to combat zones and returned to Kenya with injuries.
“Your Honour, the accused is a flight risk, and this case has attracted significant public interest both locally and internationally,” Amwayi said.
“The public demands accountability following the loss of life in Russia.”
Omwamba, who surrendered at the Moyale border, was initially detained by Moyale DCI officers and later transferred to the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU).
Investigators describe him as a key player in a wider syndicate that allegedly exploits vulnerable Kenyans by promising lucrative jobs abroad, only for recruits to find themselves trapped in illegal and dangerous situations.
The arraignment follows findings by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the DCI, which uncovered an extensive network allegedly facilitating the recruitment of Kenyans to fight in Ukraine.
Presenting a report in Parliament, Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah claimed rogue officials in government agencies and diplomatic missions—including the Russian Embassy in Nairobi and Kenya’s Embassy in Moscow—helped recruits travel undetected.
“The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war continues to trigger the recruitment of foreign fighters by rogue agencies and individuals in Kenya,” Ichung’wah said.
The report estimates that more than 1,000 Kenyans may have been recruited with promises of monthly pay up to Sh350,000, bonuses of Sh1.2 million, and prospects of foreign citizenship.
Many, however, were deployed after as little as three weeks of training, with outcomes including hospitalization, disappearance, repatriation, and at least one confirmed death.
