89 Kenyans still fighting on Russia’s frontline as MPs demand arrests over trafficking scandal
By Kenneth Mwenda, February 19, 2026Members of the National Assembly have stepped up pressure on the Ministry of Interior to arrest and prosecute officials who helped traffic more than 1,000 Kenyans to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.
A National Intelligence Service (NIS) report, presented in Parliament by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, exposes how rogue officials from key government agencies facilitated the movement of these recruits. The report confirms that 89 Kenyans remain on the frontline, facing daily danger in active combat zones.
Families across Kenya continue to grieve. Many have lost sons, brothers, and husbands who travelled abroad seeking better jobs, only to end up in a brutal war. Survivors and those still trapped send desperate messages home, begging for government help to bring them back safely. The pain runs deep for parents who hear nothing for months or learn of injuries and deaths through scattered reports.
The NIS details show that recruiters promised Kenyans high salaries of around Ksh350,000 per month, bonuses between Ksh 900,000 and Ksh 1.2 million, and even the chance of Russian citizenship.
“The agencies have been enticing Kenyans promising them lucrative terms of service such as salaries of about Ksh350,000 per month and hefty bonuses between Ksh900,000 and Ksh1.2 million Kenya shillings, as well as eventually being issued with Russian citizenship,” Kimani Ichung’wah told Parliament.
Grim toll on Kenyan recruits
Out of more than 1,000 recruited, the breakdown is grim. Twenty-eight remain missing in action. Thirty-nine sit in hospitals with serious injuries. Thirty-five train in camps. Thirty have returned home. One sits in detention. One finished a contract. Eric, one Kenyan fighter, died after taking a bullet.
“They were deployed to active warfront areas. One Kenyan, Eric, was shot and unfortunately lost his life. Others remain injured or missing in Russia,” Ichung’wah said.
Investigators now call this an organised transnational human trafficking syndicate. Rogue officials at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) played a central role. Staff from the Directorate of Immigration Services, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Anti-Narcotics Unit, and the National Employment Authority allegedly worked together to let recruits pass without checks.
“Agencies have been colluding with rogue airport staff, from the Directorate of Immigration Services, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Anti-Narcotics Units, and National Employment Authority to facilitate the recruits without interception at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport,” Ichung’wah explained.
“They have also been colluding with staff at the Russian embassy in Nairobi and the Kenyan embassy in Moscow.”
Recruits flew out through JKIA to Istanbul in Turkey or Abu Dhabi in the UAE before heading to Russia. When scrutiny at JKIA increased, traffickers switched routes. They now send people via Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Africa.
The scandal also points to a private recruitment agency on Koinange Street in Nairobi. This agency ran drives targeting skilled and semi-skilled youth, pretending to offer legitimate foreign jobs under the Kazi Majuu initiative to look like a government-backed programme. Ichung’wah noted the agency presented itself as legitimate while actively recruiting for the war effort.
Some recruitment and medical facilities linked to the scheme obtained court orders to block investigations and prosecutions.Parliament members insist the government must act fast. They demand the Ministry of Interior names and charges the officials involved. The calls grow louder for accountability to stop this exploitation of desperate young Kenyans.
The report highlights a serious breach of national security and trust. Officials who swore to protect citizens instead enabled their trafficking into a deadly conflict. Families wait for justice and for the safe return of those still alive on the frontline.