Russia will no longer recruit Kenyans into the Russian military after an agreement between Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov during a meeting in Moscow.
Speaking during bilateral talks in Russia on Monday March 16, 2026, Mudavadi raised concerns over the status of Kenyans recruited to serve in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The Prime CS stated that the Kenyan government engaged with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the two nations agreed to stop the recruitment of Kenyans to join the Russian special forces.
“The second point I want to address is to confirm that His Excellency has discussed with us the welfare of Kenyans in Russia, including those involved in military operations.I want to make it clear that we have agreed that Kenyans will no longer be enlisted for special operations through the Defence Ministry,” stated Mudavadi.
He acknowledged that Kenya and Russia have had a long-standing relationship spanning over 60 years, and that the decision to end the recruitment of Kenyans into the war frontlines underscores the importance of mutual understanding.
“Kenya and Russia have had a partnership for over 60 years. This mission is primarily meant to underscore that long-standing relationship,” stated the Russian delegation.
Additionally, it was decided that Kenya and Russia would sign a labour agreement to establish common ground and counter labour misuse and abuse, especially amongst Kenyans.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we do not want, for any reason, our partnership to be undermined by special operations. The relationship between Kenya and Russia is far deeper than that. We believe we have now found common ground, and opportunities for engagement have been properly offered through official channels,” Mudavadi emphasized.
Previous reports indicated that Kenyans found themselves on the Russia-Ukraine frontlines primarily through a sophisticated, fraudulent recruitment network that exploited economic hardship, promising legitimate civilian jobs in Russia before coercing them into military contracts.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, however, dismissed these claims, stating that those recruited were aware of the implications of joining a foreign military.
Lavrov also reiterated that foreigners who wanted to opt out of the contract were offered a path to do so through the Russian Ministry of Defence.
“All Kenyans, as well as all foreign nationals who signed contracts for military operations, did so voluntarily. Once a contract terminates, the individual is no longer bound and is free to make their own decisions,” said Minister Lavrov.
Lavrov noted that there are many nationals from different countries across the globe who have joined the Russian army in the war against Ukraine.
On the issue of repatriation of Kenyans back to their home country, the Russian government noted that Kenyans in the country would have to facilitate their own repatriation since they joined the military voluntarily.
