Kenya has for the first time publicly acknowledged that some of its citizens have been recruited to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine, following investigative reports detailing how young people were being transported to military training camps.

Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi said on Monday (October 27) the government is aware of cases involving Kenyan nationals recruited into Russian forces and is now working to establish their identities and status.

Mudavadi said investigations are underway to determine how the recruitment occurred, whether Kenyan citizens joined under contract, coercion or deception, and whether intermediaries or agencies were involved.

Reports by The Standard earlier this month described Kenyan youth, many of them unemployed and recruited through informal networks, were being promised work, training or fast-tracked citizenship in Russia – only to find themselves in military camps near the front lines.

While officials did not directly reference the report, but Mudavadi’s statement marks the first formal recognition of the issue.

Kenya has maintained a neutral diplomatic position on the Russia–Ukraine conflict, calling for negotiation and adherence to international law. The government did not specify whether the recruits joined Russian regular forces, auxiliary units or private military formations.

Rising unemployment, aggressive recruitment messaging on social media, and the appeal of rapid financial gain have made young East Africans vulnerable to foreign military contracting networks in recent years. Similar cases have been documented in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.

Human rights groups have urged Nairobi to press Moscow for information on the location, legal status and safety of the Kenyan nationals, and to clarify whether any are eligible for repatriation. The ministry said it will issue further updates once verification is completed.

An Associated Press investigation last October found that women from African countries, including Kenya and its neighbour Uganda, were recruited with promises of work-study programs, hospitality, training, or other civil roles. Instead, many ended up in a factory in Russia assembling military drones for use in the Ukraine conflict.