Kenyan President William Ruto has thanked his Ukrainian counterpart for helping secure the release of Kenyan nationals who authorities say were illegally recruited to fight on behalf of Russia in the war in Ukraine. The issue has raised concerns in Nairobi about fraudulent overseas recruitment schemes targeting young jobseekers.

In a statement on X after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on November 6, Ruto said he and had discussed the situation of Kenyans who had been drawn into the conflict under false pretences.

“We expressed concern about young Kenyans who were illegally recruited to participate in the war in Ukraine, and agreed to raise awareness about the dangers of such adventures,” he said.

Ruto added that he had appealed for assistance to secure the return of any Kenyan nationals held in Ukraine. “I have appealed to President Zelenskyy to facilitate the release of any Kenyan who is in custody in Ukraine. I am grateful to him for granting my request,” he said.

Ukraine has accused Russia-linked networks of targeting foreign citizens through misleading job offers and training programmes. Russia has denied involvement in such recruitment efforts. Kenya’s Foreign Ministry has previously issued advisories warning citizens against overseas employment offers connected to conflict zones or private military companies.

Following the call, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would work with Kenya to prevent further fraudulent recruitment and noted Nairobi’s support for a forthcoming UN resolution on the deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories. The engagement comes as Kyiv intensifies diplomatic outreach in Africa, where governments have taken varied positions on the war.

Ruto also expressed support for a planned Ukrainian Food Summit later this month, linking the discussion to Kenya’s broader concerns over global food security and grain supply stability.

Kenyan authorities have not released figures on how many citizens may have been affected, and investigations into recruitment networks are ongoing.