Russian Embassy denies involvement in recruitment of Kenyans to fight against Ukraine

The Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nairobi has denied allegations of its staff being involved in the recruitment of Kenyans to fight in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Embassy termed the claims as “dangerous and misleading propaganda campaign,” citing that its staff has never issued Visas to Kenyans who travelled to Russia with the sole purpose of joining the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

However, the mission clarified that Russian law does not prohibit foreign nationals already in Russia from voluntarily enlisting in the Russian Armed Forces, provided that they are legally present in the country and choose to join the conflict.

"It must be understood that the legislation of the Russian Federation does not preclude citizens of foreign countries from voluntarily enlisting in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, if they stay in Russia on a legal basis and choose to take part in the battle against the NATO-backed Ukrainian Nazism shoulder to shoulder with Russian servicemen," the statement read in part.

The Embassy also expressed willingness to engage Kenyan authorities in dialogue to address legitimate concerns and strengthen bilateral cooperation.

It noted that several draft agreements and protocols between Russia and Kenya, including those touching on labour migration, travel arrangements and coordination between law enforcement and security agencies, have been under consideration by Kenyan authorities for years.

The Russian Embassy said finalizing these agreements would help establish a clearer framework for collaboration between the two countries on the matter and other areas of mutual interest.

The statement comes a day after National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah revealed what he described as a disturbing network of rogue government officials colluding with human trafficking syndicates to recruit and facilitate the movement of Kenyans to fight in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

The Kikuyu Member of Parliament demanded accountability within Kenya’s foreign missions, singling out the embassy in Moscow.

“Our Ambassador in Moscow must be able to identify the officers within the embassy that may have colluded with these criminals. Our embassy must be beyond reproach. It must be the place where Kenyans can seek refuge, not exploitation,” Ichung'wah stated while addressing the National Assembly on February 18, 2026. 

The lawmaker revealed that more than 1,000 Kenyans have already been trafficked to Russia to fight in the war, under the guise of lucrative pay and foreign citizenship. 

“The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war continues to trigger the recruitment of foreign fighters by the Russian military through rogue recruitment agencies and individuals in Kenya,” Ichung'wah highlighted.