Kenya and Russia agree no Kenyans will be recruited for Ukraine war

Kenyan foreign minister meets Russian counterpart amid reports that hundreds of Kenyans were recruited to fight in Russia and Ukraine.Published On 16 Mar 2026Russia has agreed to stop recruiting Kenyan citizens to fight with its army in Ukraine, Kenya’s foreign minister has said.More than 1,780 citizens from 36 African countries are believed to be fighting alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s estimates in February.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘You either fight or die’: Kenyans tricked into joining Russia-Ukraine warlist 2 of 3‘Our children were sold off’: The South Africans sent to fight Russia’s warlist 3 of 3Ukraine records first territorial gains since 2023 amid Russian army woesend of list“We have now agreed that Kenyans shall not be enlisted through the [Russian] Ministry of Defence,” Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi told reporters on Monday.He made the statement sitting beside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov after the two held talks in Moscow, Russia.“His excellency has conversed with us on the ⁠issue of the welfare of Kenyans who are in Russia and more specifically those who are involved in the special operation,” Mudavadi said.“There will be no further enlisting.”Mudavadi added that consular services would be organised for those Kenyans requiring assistance through proper diplomatic channels.Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attends a meeting with Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi in Moscow [Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool/AFP]“We do not want for ⁠any reason our partnership with Russia to ⁠be defined from the lens of the special operation [in Ukraine] agenda only,” he said. “The relationship between Kenya and Russia is much more broader than that.”Lavrov did not mention the agreement in his remarks to the media, but said the Russian Defence Ministry was looking into cases that had caused “concern among our Kenyan friends”.“Russia is not forcing anyone to enlist,” Lavrov said.