Exclusive: Inside the network recruiting Kenyans to fight in Russia-Ukraine war

Since Citizen TV first exposed the story, many families have come forward seeking answers, but months later, the government is yet to tell Kenyans what really transpired, apart from one suspect who was arrested and arraigned at Kahawa Law Courts.

Citizen TV now exposes the inside networks and how government officials from the Department of Defence, Immigration, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Ministry of Labour have been aiding the export of Kenyans to the Russian war. 

On October 11, 2025, an investigation by Citizen TV exposed a syndicate many Kenyans could hardly believe. Young men were being recruited and flown to Russia, not for jobs or studies, but to fight as soldiers in the ongoing war against Ukraine.

What began as a shocking revelation has since unfolded into a trail of anguish. For months, the investigation has documented the pain, the unanswered questions, and the growing fear that more Kenyans could be trapped in a war far from home.

The government has remained largely silent, issuing brief, carefully worded statements offering little clarity about the network behind the recruitment. Now, the investigation unravels the people behind the syndicate.

For weeks, Citizen TV has been tracing one man believed to be at the center of this operation. The man who insiders say secured the deal to send Kenyans to fight for the Russian army. For his own safety, he will be referred to as “Reds.”

In exclusive conversations, Reds makes explosive claims. He alleges that very senior individuals within government structures are aware of and possibly involved in the export of Kenyan fighters to Russia.

But before examining those claims, questions emerge: how did Kenya enter the picture in a war thousands of kilometres away, and who opened the door?

“On the issue of Russian recruitment, I have one friend by the name Mike,” Reds, a Russian army recruiter, stated.

It all began with a phone call in December 2024. On the other end of the line was a Russian national who introduced himself as “Mike,” a man identified as Mikhail Lyapin. Investigations show Lyapin was operating in Kenya alongside another Russian national identified as Diamitry, said to have links with the Kenyan embassy.

Their pitch was direct: recruit young Kenyan men, facilitate their travel to Russia, and deploy them into the Russian army. A deal presented as an opportunity, but one that Reds says he immediately knew was dangerous. Still, he took it up.

According to the findings, Reds began reaching out to contacts within Kenya’s security establishment, including a senior officer at the Department of Defence headquarters.

“The opportunity was that they needed to recruit former military personnel who can join the Russian army. The specification was strictly someone from the forces or police, or those with basic military training like NYS,” Reds stated.

In April 2025, Reds convened a meeting at a popular entertainment joint along Mombasa Road, where details of the Russian deal were presented and allegedly accepted by a senior military officer.

“When he asked me about that, I told him the best thing I could do is to find some friends from defence and ask them what can be done. I approached different people in the Department of Defence and they told me it was possible. I went to the first guy and he told me, ‘That’s a deal, hiyo ni biashara,’ so I linked them with the Russian guy,” Reds stated.

The network quickly expanded, with another high-ranking officer at the DCI headquarters allegedly accepting the deal. At this point, the arrangement had secured endorsement from individuals within both the Department of Defence and the DCI.

Further links were established within the Ministry of Labour, connecting the syndicate to recruitment agencies. The chairman of the Association of Skilled Migrant Agencies of Kenya (ASMAK), identified as Francis Wahome, was also allegedly looped in.

The Immigration Department was the next agency drawn into the syndicate, with officials accused of facilitating travel and turning a blind eye to the recruitment activities.

Citizen TV established that the bribery structure was set per individual transported. Labour officials allegedly received Ksh.5,000 per person, DCI officers at the airport Ksh.20,000, and immigration officers Ksh.50,000.

“And then they started on the process, that’s around January 2025, that’s when they started doing the recruitment,” Reds stated.

Recruits received messages outlining requirements: ages 21 to 47, physically fit, and willing to work in the Russian army under a one-year contract.

The offer included a one-time bonus of Ksh.1,600,000, a monthly salary of Ksh.280,000, and an agency fee of Ksh.650,000 covering travel and accommodation.

“All the documentation, the Visas, the air tickets, the invitation and everything were fully arranged by Mike. What was happening from our side was just a referral,” Reds stated.

Citizen TV sampled more than 10 WhatsApp messages of this nature, with recipients acknowledging the risks and expressing willingness to join.

“I know quite a good number of people started to flood in, especially from the DCI. We have a number from Recce, some from KDF, and some from NYS,” Reds stated.

While some recruits were former security officers, others had no military background but still made their way into the Russian frontline.

“I’m aware that quite a number travelled with no experience. These guys were trained and told to present themselves as experienced,” Reds stated.

Investigations revealed that after Visa processing, recruits were housed in locations including Great Wall Gardens in Mavoko, Kiserian, and Roysambu, where they underwent basic orientation, including exposure to combat videos and Russian language lessons.

Citizen TV obtained over 100 e-visas issued by the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, indicating that the process had official backing.

A document filed at Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs confirmed Kenyan citizens were eligible for electronic Visas to Russia, suggesting awareness within government structures.

One case highlighted is that of Ronald Regan Owuor, a former special forces officer who travelled to Russia in April 2025 but never returned, instead being absorbed into the Russian army, where he sustained injuries.

Further documents revealed the names of recruits, including Ombwori Denis Bagaka and Magero Jeremiah Oriyo, who travelled to Russia but were never seen again after being assigned to a military unit.

The investigation also uncovered recruitment agencies operating locally, including one near Kasarani, which lured victims with promises of security jobs. Victims were required to pay processing fees ranging from Ksh.15,000 to Ksh.70,000, while passports were sometimes fast-tracked through Nyayo House for additional bribes.

Recruits were held in overcrowded apartments as they awaited travel, signing vague contracts and preparing for deployment.

However, some operations were disrupted. Police raids rescued more than 50 Kenyans, leading to the arrest of a key suspect, Edward Gituku, who was charged with trafficking in persons.

Despite this, others managed to leave the country. Intelligence reports tabled in Parliament indicate that as of February 2026, at least 39 Kenyans are hospitalised, 30 have been repatriated, 28 are missing in action, 35 are in camps, and 89 are on the frontline.

“On the surface, it looked like an opportunity to escape unemployment, but beneath lay a machinery of corruption fueled by bribes,” the report indicates.

Reds further claims that some Kenyans are also being recruited to join Ukrainian forces through a different process.

“Kenyan recruits are also going to Ukraine. The procedure is different because Ukraine does not have e-visa access like Russia,” Reds stated.

The Russian government has denied that Mikhail Lyapin is affiliated with its official institutions or embassy in Nairobi.

The scandal exposes more than just corruption. It reveals a system where officials entrusted with safeguarding citizens are accused of exploiting them. Each bribe represents a betrayal of trust and a deepening crisis of accountability.

With Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi expected to visit Russia in the coming weeks, more details could emerge in a saga that continues to unfold.