Kenya’s Foreign Minister to Visit Moscow Amid Concerns Over Forced Conscripts in Ukraine. Nairobi, Kenya — February 11, 2026 Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi is scheduled to visit Moscow next month to address the issue of Kenyans being deceived and forced to fight in Ukraine, according to official statements.
The Kenyan government has condemned recruiters for misleading citizens with promises of high — paying jobs in Russia, only to deploy them as soldiers in Ukraine.
Mounting reports indicate that Kenyans, lured by the promise of lucrative work, are dying on the battlefield or suffering serious wounds.
An AFP investigation revealed a web of deception involving four men who were forced to sign contracts with the Russian army and sent to the front lines in Ukraine, despite having no military background. “We have seen loss of lives, and I am planning to make a visit to Moscow so that we can emphasize that this is something that needs to be arrested, “Mudavadi said in a statement.
The Kenyan government has estimated that around 200 citizens have been sent to fight in Ukraine, though the four men said this figure may be underestimated. Mudavadi also plans to pursue the release of Kenyans held as prisoners of war in Ukraine and “verify “the condition of those hospitalised. Over the past two months, more than 30 Kenyans have been evacuated from Russia, and unscrupulous recruitment agencies in Kenya have been shut down, according to Mudavadi.
Junior Foreign Minister Korir Sing’Oei described the recruitment scheme as “unacceptable “and said “These individuals are used as cannon fodder on the war front. No Kenyan would voluntarily enter into that kind of engagement.”
The situation echoes similar reports from South Africa, where President Cyril Ramaphosa held talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on returning South Africans lured into fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine.
South African authorities have received distress calls from 17 men trapped in the fighting in Ukraine’s Donbas region after being tricked into joining mercenary forces. Further details are expected as Kenya’s Foreign Minister Mudavadi prepares for his visit to Moscow.
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Source: standardmedia.
Co. Ke, jacarandafm.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
