Parliamentary Majority Leader Kimani Itunwa has tabled a report to MPs, revealing a “deeply disturbing” network of rogue state officials allegedly colluding with human trafficking syndicates to recruit and transport Kenyans to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The spy agency detailed how the recruitment agency allegedly conspired with rogue Kenyan airport officials, immigration officials, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers, drug enforcement agents and National Employment Agency officials to facilitate travel for recruits.
Mr. Ichunwa alleged that these agencies also colluded with officials from the Russian embassy in Nairobi and the Kenyan embassy in Moscow to help recruits obtain Russian visas.
The BBC has contacted the Russian embassy for comment. Russia has previously denied any involvement in recruiting Kenyans to fight in Ukraine.
Ichunwa said Kenya’s ambassador in Moscow “must be able to identify staff within the embassy who may have colluded with these criminals. Our embassies must be impeccable. They must be places where Kenyans can seek refuge, not exploitation.”
“Government institutions should not be used for criminal activities,” he added.
The BBC has contacted Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.
The report did not say what became of most of the recruits, but said that in addition to the front-line soldiers, another 35 were sent to military camps in Russia, 39 were wounded and 28 were missing.
According to the survey, ex-military personnel, ex-police officers and unemployed Kenyans aged between 20 and 50 are the main targets of recruiters.
Recruits are promised a monthly salary of up to 350,000 Kenyan shillings ($2,400, £2,000) and bonuses of between 900,000 Kenyan shillings and 1.2 million Kenyan shillings ($6,200-8,300, £5,200-7,000).
However, upon arrival, many reportedly undergo minimal military training before being assigned to front-line combat missions.
“They say you’re going to work as a security guard…just when you get there, you’re taken to a military camp,” Ichunwa said.
“You’ve only been training for three weeks. They’re basically just giving you a gun to die for,” he added.
Those undergoing training in explosives and weapons only need to attend nine days of training before being sent to the front lines, the report said.
Ichunwa said the recruits initially departed via Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on tourist visas and traveled through Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
However, with increased surveillance in JKIA, traffickers reportedly changed tactics and rerouted victims to South Africa, Uganda, and other neighboring countries.
The report identified some fraudulent agencies behind the recruitment of Kenyans and the medical facilities used for testing.
Authorities say several suspects, including the alleged ringleader, remain under active investigation and further arrests are expected. The investigation continues as authorities search for additional suspects and work to rescue Kenyans still caught up in the conflict.
Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi said in an interview with the BBC last week that Nairobi had shut down more than 600 recruitment agencies suspected of deceiving Kenyans with promises of jobs abroad.
Mudavadi said Kenya is working closely with Russia to curb illegal recruitment practices, including consultations on visa policy and bilateral labor agreements excluding conscription.
So far, 27 Kenyans who fought in Russia have been repatriated, he said, and authorities are providing them with psychological care to deal with their trauma and “deradicalize” them.
Pressure is mounting on the Kenyan government to take action after more bodies of African nationals drafted into the Russian military were recently discovered.
Last November, Ukraine’s foreign minister said that more than 1,400 people from 36 African countries had been drafted to fight for Russia.
Ukraine has previously come under fire for trying to recruit foreigners, including Africans, to fight on its side.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned that those fighting for Russia will be treated as enemy combatants and that the only safe way out is to surrender and be treated as prisoners of war.
