US report links Gov’t officials to recruitment of over 1,000 Kenyans into Russian-Ukraine war

The report also states that President William Ruto's administration opted for lighter penalties. It cites Kenyan media reports indicating that over 10 per cent of government officials hold ownership stakes in private employment agencies, a situation that raises conflict-of-interest concerns.

A file photo of Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi. He appeared before a joint Senate committee on Labour and Defence on Thursday, October 8, 2026, and revealed that 62 Kenyans have so far been repatriated, as the government continues efforts to trace those whose whereabouts remain unknown.

The 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, published by the U.S. Department of State, points to suspected collusion involving Kenyan officials, recruitment firms, and Russian government officers in the exercise.

“Officials reported that some Kenyan officials colluded with recruitment agencies and government officials from Russia to facilitate the fraudulent recruitment of more than 1,000 Kenyan men to fight for the Russian military,” the report stated.

Source: Citizen Digital