Russia has agreed to stop recruiting Kenyan nationals to fight in the war in Ukraine, according to Musalia Mudavadi, Kenya’s foreign minister.
Mudavadi made the announcement in Moscow after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He said Kenyans will no longer be eligible to enlist through the Russian Ministry of Defence.
A Kenyan intelligence report earlier warned that more than 1,000 citizens had been recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine. Some Kenyans claim they were promised well-paid civilian jobs but later forced into military service.
Mudavadi is also pushing for the repatriation of Kenyans who wish to return home. So far, 27 citizens have been brought back, receiving psychological support to help them recover from trauma.
Authorities in Kenya say they have shut down more than 600 recruitment agencies suspected of misleading citizens with overseas job promises.
The issue has sparked protests by families of Kenyans believed to be fighting abroad, demanding government action and answers about their relatives.
