Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi on Sunday March 15, 2026 departed Nairobi for Moscow, Russian, for bilateral meetings.
The visit seeks to deepen Kenya–Russia relations, particularly in areas of Education, Labour Mobility, Health, Infrastructure and Energy, while strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between Kenya and Russia.
Top on the agenda of the trip include talks to locate and free Kenyans who were recruited to join the Russian military and deployed to fight in Ukraine.
During the two-day visit, Mudavadi will hold bilateral meetings with Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and later with Ministers of Education and Labour, before giving a public lecture at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).
“Kenya acknowledges Russia’s support in advancing education through scholarships and in strengthening agricultural productivity through fertilizer assistance,” read part of the statement.
The visit comes at a time when several Kenyans are trapped in Russia after they were recruited in a clandestine manner by rogue agencies and deployed as mercenaries to fight in Ukraine.
Mudavadi now says his visit also aims at establishing a clear and transparent framework that will enable Kenya to safeguard the welfare of its nationals residing, studying, and working in Russia.
“The Prime CS will intensify diplomatic efforts to engage directly with Russian authorities through dialogue, to prevent further risks arising from misleading recruitment or false promises of employment.”
To safeguard the Kenyan citizens affected by the ongoing Russia–Ukraine conflict, his office says he will include a push for the facilitation of the affected Kenyans through a safe process for their repatriation.
“The engagement is focused on a broad coordinated government action to protect Kenyans abroad, by ensuring that they work in a safe working environment and live dignified lives away from home.”
Over 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited to fight for Russia, according to an intelligence report that details a network of rogue officials allegedly colluding with human trafficking syndicates.
The report, submitted to parliament last month by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), said 89 Kenyans were on the front lines of the Russia–Ukraine war as of February 2026.
The spy agency detailed how recruitment agencies have allegedly been colluding with rogue Kenyan airport staff, immigration officers, officers at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), anti-narcotics officers and National Employment Authority officers to facilitate recruits’ travel.
Russia, through its Embassy, has often refuted the claims, terming them as “dangerous and misleading”, saying that its staff has never been involved in “rogue schemes” or engaged in illegal enlistment.
