The Kenyan government says it has reached an agreement with Russia to stop the recruitment of Kenyan citizens to fight in the war in Ukraine.
Kenyan authorities disclosed that the development followed reports that a growing number of Kenyans had been signing up to join Russian forces.
According to officials, “more than 1,000 Kenyans were allegedly recruited, attracted by offers of monthly salaries worth several thousand dollars as well as bonuses exceeding $6,000 for contract soldiers.”
The announcement came after Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.
Mudavadi said both sides had agreed that Kenyans would no longer be eligible to enlist through the Russian Ministry of Defence.
“I want to make it clear that we have now agreed that Kenyans shall not be enlisted through the Russian Ministry of Defence—they will no longer be eligible to be enlisted,” Mudavadi said during a joint news briefing with Lavrov.
He said; “There will be no further enlisting.”
He added that Kenyan authorities would organise consular support through diplomatic channels for citizens who had already signed contracts and may require assistance. Lavrov said the Kenyan nationals had voluntarily signed contracts to fight alongside the Russian army.
Ahead of the Moscow trip, Mudavadi told reporters that Nairobi was under increasing pressure from families of those recruited to intervene.
“We want Kenyans stopped, they should not be enlisted at all,” he said, noting that more families were coming forward with concerns.
A Kenyan intelligence report presented to lawmakers in February estimated that more than 1,000 Kenyans had joined Russian forces, five times higher than previous official estimates.
Mudavadi also stressed that Kenya’s ties with Russia extend beyond the Ukraine conflict, citing potential cooperation in energy, tourism and agriculture.
He said; “We do not want our partnership with Russia to be defined only through the lens of the special operation in Ukraine.”
“The relationship between Kenya and Russia is much broader than that.”