Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) and Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi has disclosed the significant challenges the government faces in tracing Kenyans recruited into the Russian army, citing complex travel routes and altered documentation.

Appearing before the Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations on Thursday, April 2, 2026, Mudavadi explained that many of the individuals did not travel directly from Kenya, complicating efforts to track their movements and verify their identities.

“Some of these people did not leave directly from Kenya. They were moving through third-party countries. So you would find that some had regular security jobs in the Middle East, and then from the Middle East, they moved directly to Russia,” Mudavadi told the committee.

His remarks follow a growing concern within government circles over the recruitment of Kenyans into foreign conflicts, particularly amid reports of Africans being enlisted into the ongoing war involving Russia.

Mudavadi emphasised that the use of indirect routes makes it difficult for Kenyan authorities to maintain accurate records or intervene in time.

According to him, individuals often depart legally for employment opportunities abroad, only to later shift destinations without the knowledge of Kenyan officials.

“So tracking this situation can be very, very difficult. Because some of them, when they are moving from other places, they could have maybe even altered their documentation,” he explained.

Further, the PCS noted that some individuals initially travel under the guise of tourism.

“Some would go as tourists using tourist visas, and then they engage in other matters,” he said, stating such tactics complicate investigations and delay response efforts.

Russia-Ukraine war crisis

The government is now under pressure to strengthen monitoring mechanisms and enhance cooperation with international partners to address the issue.

Mudavadi indicated that ongoing investigations are attempting to piece together travel histories and recruitment networks, though progress remains slow due to jurisdictional and documentation challenges.

Meanwhile, he has also revealed that at least 60 Kenyans recruited into the Russian military are currently missing, raising alarm over what the government describes as deceptive enlistment into foreign combat operations.

“Under the current status of investigations into the reported deceptive recruitment of Kenyan citizens, I wish to respond as follows. Until yesterday, we had 10 Kenyans who had been reported missing in action. This number has now increased. We have a figure of 60 Kenyans,” Mudavadi told senators.

However, he cautioned that the status of those missing remains unclear.

“When we say missing in action, we cannot pronounce outrightly whether they are dead or whether they are captured or whatever,” he said.

Mudavadi further said that several Kenyans are currently hospitalised in Russia under restricted access, complicating efforts to establish their conditions.

At the same time, the government estimates that about 165 Kenyans remain deployed in what Moscow refers to as special military operations.

According to data from the Kenyan embassy in Moscow, approximately 252 Kenyans may have been enlisted in the Russian military, although Mudavadi noted that the actual number could be higher.

Despite the grim statistics, Mudavadi reported some progress in rescue efforts.

“The exact figure is yet to be conclusively established. To date, 47 Kenyans have been rescued, with the Kenyan Embassy in Moscow facilitating their safe repatriation home,” he confirmed.