According to a statement released by the Kenyan Foreign Ministry on Monday, many Kenyans have been “enticed” by recruiters to join the fight for Russia in Ukraine.

The statement, issued by Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi, noted that a number of these individuals have found themselves detained in military facilities throughout Russia. However, the ministry did not provide any specific figures regarding the recruits or how many have been captured or injured.

The Foreign Ministry also mentioned that a “critical meeting” took place last month with Russian officials aimed at facilitating the release and return of these Kenyans.

It highlighted that corrupt and unscrupulous agents are deceiving Kenyans into traveling to Russia, where they unwittingly become involved in the military operations. The ministry stated, “The situation is exacerbated by agents who pretend to represent the Russian Government and employ unethical tactics, including fabricated information, to draw unsuspecting Kenyans into combat.”

Russia has faced numerous allegations of misleading citizens from impoverished nations into signing military contracts that are written in Russian, a language they do not understand.

With widespread poverty and limited employment options in Kenya, local media have reported on Russian recruitment networks targeting young men in need, many of whom claim they were misled or coerced into fighting after arriving in Russia.

In a recent interview with The Nation newspaper, a former Kenyan soldier shared his experience of voluntarily joining a Russian mercenary group.

The Foreign Ministry reiterated that Kenya remains committed to establishing a labor agreement with Russia to provide Kenyans with “genuine employment opportunities in Russia.”