Russia Lured Kenyan Nationals Into War Against Ukraine – Bloomberg
Russia recruited hundreds of Kenyan citizens to fight in its war against Ukraine after luring them with promises of civilian employment.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Bloomberg.
Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at least 200 Kenyans were drawn to Russia in recent months by intermediaries offering well-paid jobs. Many of those recruited had no military background and were instead sent directly to combat zones in eastern Ukraine.
One such case involved Martin Mburu, a 38-year-old minibus driver from Kenya, who traveled to Moscow in October believing he had secured work as a driver or security guard.
Recruiters allegedly promised him a monthly salary equivalent to about $2,000 – several times Kenya’s average wage. Mburu was killed in fighting in the Donbas region less than a month later after receiving only minimal training, his family said.
Kenyan prosecutors confirmed they are investigating an organized criminal network involving local recruitment agencies and business entities coordinating with contacts in Russia.
State prosecutor Kennedy Amwayi said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations is examining cases in which Kenyan nationals were misled under false pretenses and transported into an active war zone.
Ukrainian officials have previously estimated that more than 1,400 fighters from roughly three dozen African countries are serving with Russian forces in Ukraine, underscoring Moscow’s growing reliance on foreign recruits as battlefield casualties mount.
The issue has prompted diplomatic engagement at the highest level. Kenyan President William Ruto said in November that Ukraine had assisted in securing the release of Kenyan citizens who were coerced into fighting on Russia’s side, thanking President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for Kyiv’s cooperation.
As The Gaze informed earlier, the number of foreign soldiers fighting for Russia in Ukraine has sharply risen this year, revealing a massive expansion of Moscow’s global recruitment network.
Reports of foreign recruitment by Russia have emerged from multiple regions. Indian authorities have confirmed that dozens of Indian nationals were also misled into joining the Russian military. Similar recruitment efforts have been reported in parts of the Middle East, including Iran, where offers of large signing bonuses circulated despite official denials from Russian diplomats.
In addition, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, was involved in recruiting men from South Africa and Botswana to serve in the Russian army.
Read more on The Gaze: The Great Realignment: How the War in Ukraine Reshaped the Global South