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Kenya Confirms Over 200 Citizens Recruited by Russia to Fight in Ukraine

Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi confirmed that over 200 Kenyan citizens, including former security personnel, were recruited as mercenaries by Russia with lucrative job promises.

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Nov 13, 2025 - 06:24

Kenya Confirms Over 200 Citizens Recruited by Russia to Fight in Ukraine

WISE NEWS PRESS / NAIROBI, KENYA — NOVEMBER 13, 2025

The African nation of Kenya has announced that more than 200 of its citizens have been recruited into the Russian military as mercenaries to participate in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Musalia Wycliffe Mudavadi, Kenya’s Minister of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, confirmed the government is receiving an increasing number of reports concerning citizens who were persuaded to join the Russia-Ukraine War through false job promises.

"Reports indicate that over 200 Kenyans have joined the Russian army," Minister Mudavadi stated.

Recruitment of Former Security Personnel

Mudavadi emphasized that these individuals include former members of Kenya's own security forces. Intelligence reports, he said, suggest that Russia's recruitment of foreign soldiers has expanded to include African citizens, specifically naming Kenyans.

The Minister described the situation as "extremely worrying" and issued a strong warning to citizens to be cautious of job offers originating abroad that appear too lucrative to be genuine.

The issue of African nationals fighting in the conflict has been a growing diplomatic concern. Last week, Kenyan President William Ruto held a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskiy, during which he requested the release of Kenyan citizens detained in the war zone.

Broader African Involvement

This Kenyan confirmation follows similar reports from other African nations. On November 6, the Presidency of South Africa announced that it was using diplomatic channels to secure the repatriation of 17 South African citizens who were convinced to become mercenaries by "high salary" promises and were stranded in Ukraine’s Donbas region.

The conflict has drawn fighters from across the continent. Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister, reported on November 7 that over 1,400 people from 36 African countries were fighting in Ukraine on behalf of Russia.