National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah has provided intelligence reports linking private agencies and rogue officials to recruitment into the Russian military. NIS reports indicate more than 1,000 Kenyans have left the country, with at least 200 recruited into combat roles. Recruiters promised monthly salaries of Ksh 350,000 and eventual Russian citizenship.
According to intelligence reports submitted to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the recruitment targets former police officers, ex-soldiers, and civilians aged mid-20s to 50. Recruits were promised bonuses between Ksh 900,000 and Ksh 1.2 million. Many were flown out on tourist visas through Istanbul and Abu Dhabi, or rerouted via Uganda, DRC, and South Africa to avoid scrutiny at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The reports reveal collusion with rogue staff from the Directorate of Immigration Services, DCI, Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU), and National Employment Authority (NEA) to facilitate passage without interception. They have also colluded with staff at the Russian Embassy in Nairobi and the Kenyan Embassy in Moscow to issue Russian visit visas.
One named agency operates along Koinange Street, recruiting youth under the Kazi Majuu initiative banner. Medical screenings were conducted at three agencies in Nairobi CBD before departure. Investigators from the Transnational Organised Crimes Unit (TOCU) raided holding premises at Great Wall Garden Apartments in September, rescuing 22 Kenyans aged 24 to 38.
Returned victims say they underwent three weeks of military training in Moscow before deployment to battlefields, despite promises of non-combat jobs like drone painting. As of February 2026, 39 Kenyans are hospitalized, 30 repatriated, 28 missing in action, 35 in camps, 89 on the front line, one detained, and one completed contract.
Separate tallies show at least 10 confirmed deaths, possibly up to 18, with four Kenyans as prisoners of war in Ukrainian custody and 27 unaccounted for. Some recruits were already working in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Dubai, Jordan, and Asian countries before relocating to Russia.
CNN journalist Larry Madowo stated he has received hundreds of messages from Kenyans seeking connections to the Russian army and families requesting help retrieving bodies of sons killed in Ukraine. "I've received hundreds of messages asking to connect them to the Russian army. Please stop asking me," Madowo said. The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has categorized at least eight as missing or dead, with the government in talks to secure the return of four held in Ukraine.
Security agencies warn that the recruitment exposes Kenya to diplomatic strain and human trafficking risks, vowing continued intelligence sharing to dismantle networks exploiting vulnerable youth seeking better livelihoods abroad.
