‘You either fight or die’: Kenyans tricked into joining Russia-Ukraine war

Al JazeeraCenterEN 9 min read 100% complete by Dominic KiruiFebruary 23, 2026 at 01:09 PM

AI Summary

long article 9 min

A recent report by Kenya's National Intelligence Service revealed that over 1,000 Kenyans, along with individuals from 36 other African countries, have been fraudulently recruited to fight for Russia in the Russia-Ukraine war. Promised jobs such as truck driving, many recruits like Dancan Chege found themselves on the front lines with no prior combat experience. Chege, who was promised a job as a truck driver in Russia, was quickly forced into military service with the threat of death if he refused to fight. Dozens of Kenyan families are now demanding government action to secure the safe return of their loved ones. As of the report, 89 Kenyans are on the front line, 39 are hospitalized, and 28 are missing in action.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Mombasa 30% Kiambu County 40% Kimende ×250% National Intelligence Service (NIS) 60% Kenya ×370% Ukraine ×280% Russia ×680% Dancan Chege ×590%

Keywords

russia-ukraine war 100% fraudulent recruitment 90% kenyans 80% foreign fighters 70% military service 60% human trafficking 50% national intelligence service 40% labor exploitation 40%