Omtatah threatens to sue govt over Kenyans trapped in Russia-Ukraine war
By Mustafa Juma, March 11, 2026Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has threatened to take the national government to court if the issue of Kenyans being outsourced to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war is not addressed.
Taking to his official X account on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, Omtatah argued that the government had promised the Kenyan youth jobs and not graves, as witnessed by the deaths reported among Kenyans who have been deployed to fight on the front line in the war after being deceived.
“Kenya’s youth were promised jobs, not graves. Article 238(1) mandates the state to protect its citizens, not outsource them to a foreign war. If the government won’t stop this deception, we will see them in court,” Omtatah stated.
He went ahead to state that the country should not be turned into a recruitment agency for the Russian military.
“Kenya is a sovereign nation, not a recruitment agency for Russia’s front lines,” he wrote on X.
Safe repatriation
Omtatah’s remarks come hours after Belgut Member of Parliament (MP) and Chairperson of the National Assembly Defence Committee Nelson Koech revealed plans to lead a delegation to Russia to ensure the safe repatriation of Kenyan nationals who were illegally recruited to participate in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Speaking on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, during an interview with a local TV station, Koech said Parliament had mandated him, alongside Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, to engage directly with Russian authorities.
“Parliament has mandated me, together with the Prime Cabinet Secretary, this weekend to travel to Russia to meet with the Government of Russia to ensure that our young men who were illegally recruited are repatriated back to the country. We are having meetings on Monday and Tuesday next week in Moscow,” Koech disclosed.
Over 1000 Kenyans illegally recruited
A National Intelligence Service (NIS) report tabled in parliament recently revealed that over 1,000 Kenyan nationals are reported to be stuck in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The report, read to MPs by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, details how rogue recruitment agencies in Kenya are targeting former military personnel, police officers, and civilians between 25 and 50 years old.
The agencies are said to promise lucrative monthly salaries of around Ksh350,000, bonuses up to Ksh1.2 million, and potential Russian citizenship to entice recruits.