The Kenyan government has announced its intention to address increasing reports of its nationals being recruited to fight in the Ukraine war. Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi commented on the issue, labeling these practices as 'unacceptable and clandestine'. He indicated that Nairobi is committed to clamping down on illegal recruitment and will advocate for an agreement with Moscow to halt the conscription of Kenyan citizens.
Estimates suggest around 200 Kenyans have been recruited to serve alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, although the precise number is difficult to verify as authorities maintain that all recruitment was unauthorized.
Mudavadi remarked, Kenya and Russia have had long relations since independence, literally. So this, in my view, becomes a very unfortunate episode of otherwise very positive and cordial relations between our two countries. To curb illegal recruitment, he added that Kenya will focus on negotiating visa policies and labor agreements that exclude military involvement.
Kenyans affected by this situation have voiced their concerns over the risks associated with clandestine recruitment agencies, which have defrauded many with misleading job offers. The Kenyan government has shut down more than 600 such agencies in an effort to protect its citizens.
Furthermore, the government has already repatriated 27 Kenyans who were fighting in Ukraine and is providing psychological assistance to help them deal with their experiences and to prevent radicalization. However, the fates of potential casualties remain uncertain, with many families struggling to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones lost in the conflict, facing difficulties with Russia and seeking help from the Ukrainian government.
The Kenyan foreign minister has faced criticism for the apparent laxity in regulating such recruitment practices, but he defends that efforts have been made to tackle these illegal agencies and ensure the safety of Kenyans.
