The government has finally addressed concerns over young Kenyans being lured into the Russia-Ukraine war under false promises.

This comes even as blame shifts to President William Ruto’s administration for deceiving Kenyan youths into joining Russia’s war against Ukraine under the guise of overseas jobs.

Speaking during a burial ceremony in Kakamega on Saturday, 7, 2026, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi revealed that nearly 20 Kenyan youths have been successfully evacuated after being deceived into joining the ongoing conflict.

“I want to use this platform to confirm that the government of Kenya has rescued 20 Kenyans who have been lured into fake recruitment scams, only to end up on the battle frontlines,” he said.

This marks the government’s first formal response since the bodies of Kenyans were recovered in eastern Ukraine on February 6, 2026.

However, the Prime CS did not reveal the countries from which the 20 Kenyans were rescued, citing concerns over potential diplomatic repercussions.

Ukrainian authorities retrieved the remains near Lyman in the Donetsk region, a heavily contested area that has seen intense fighting throughout the war.

The deceased have been identified as Ombwori Denis Bagaka, 39, Wahome Simon Gititu, 34, and Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, 28, all victims of recruitment fraud.

Intelligence and family reports indicate that the three men worked for private security firms in Qatar when they were lured to Russia with false promises.

They were promised high-paying jobs abroad, only to find themselves conscripted into a penal battalion upon arrival in Russia in late 2025.

The men were initially based at the Pogonovo training facility before being assigned to Unit No. 11097, a formation largely made up of foreign fighters and incarcerated recruits.

Action on job scams

Their first deployment turned deadly when they were ordered to attack Lyman, advancing straight into what Ukrainian intelligence later described as a kill zone. Mogesa’s body was found around January 31, 2026, with the passports of his two fellow Kenyans on him, enabling authorities to later confirm the identities of all three.

Even so, Mudavadi urged Kenyan families to carefully verify overseas job offers before allowing their children to travel, noting that many victims leave the country without disclosing their true destination, complicating efforts to trace and rescue them from schemes targeting vulnerable job seekers.

“It is happening. Even our young people in the government, their own relatives have found themselves in that corner,” Mudavadi revealed.

He urged families to seek confirmation of overseas employment opportunities through the Ministry of Labour and the Diaspora Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Further, the PCS cautioned that several young Kenyans have suffered severe injuries from drone attacks, while others have been killed amid the ongoing conflict, adding that the government is actively engaging efforts to persuade more stranded Kenyans to return home from the war-torn region, although the precise number of those affected is yet to be established.