Mudavadi: Only 252 Kenyans are in Russia-Ukraine war, not 1,000
By Emmanuel Rono, March 18, 2026Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has broken his silence on the presence of Kenyans in the Russia-Ukraine war, confirming that 252 citizens are currently active on the frontlines.
The official figures from the prime cabinet secretary sharply contradict a previous National Intelligence Service (NIS) report, which estimated the number could be as high as 1,000.
Speaking on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, during an interview with a local station, Mudavadi said the number could be high, but he can only verify those confirmed at the embassy. He said some went through third-party countries.
“The records we have from the embassy in Russia indicate 252 Kenyans. That is the figure we can verify. There could be more because some individuals went through third-party countries rather than travelling directly from Nairobi to the conflict zone. But without verification, I can only quote what has been confirmed by the embassy,” Mudavadi said.
Mudavadi explained that while the Kenyan mission has successfully reached some citizens currently recovering in hospitals, many others remain unreachable on the active frontlines.
Missing in Action
The war has also left families in limbo, with the government currently working to verify the status of 11 individuals officially reported as missing in action.
He said that the country has lost some individuals as they continue with the verification.
“Some are definitely on the frontline and cannot be communicated with directly. Some are in hospitals, and our mission has spoken to them. Forty-four have returned home. Some walked out of hospitals after treatment and were assisted to leave. Others decided to remain in the conflict,” Mudavadi said
“Unfortunately, we have lost some, and verification is ongoing for those recorded as missing in action, which could be around 11 people so far,” he added.
Special website to report
Mudavadi stressed that work is already being done to find the Kenyans who have been affected. He said that the Kenyan mission in Russia, including the ambassador, has received a lot of messages from families all over the country.
He revealed there is even a special website where Kenyans can tell where they are.
“They have put out a website for Kenyans to indicate where they are. Some of these contacts came through that website. At the same time, some Kenyans on the front line have also sent signals to help us understand or clarify the numbers,” Mudavadi noted.
At the same time, Mudavadi ruled out compensation for Kenyans in the Ukraine-Russia war, maintaining that they willingly entered into contractual arrangements with those forces.
Nonetheless, the prime cabinet secretary made it clear that the government will tighten the noose to nab those luring Kenyans into the battlefield.