Kenya has formally raised concern with Russia following reports that about 200 Kenyan nationals were recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi termed the recruitment illegal and said the government has moved to dismantle networks involved in sending young Kenyans into the conflict.
He told the BBC that authorities have shut down more than 600 agencies suspected of luring citizens with false promises of jobs abroad. According to the ministry, those recruited did not travel through approved government channels.
Mudavadi is expected to travel to Russia in March to seek clarification on how Kenyans ended up in the Russian military and to push for safeguards against further recruitment.
Nairobi also plans to review visa processes and labour agreements to ensure they cannot be used to facilitate military enlistment.
So far, 27 Kenyans who had joined Russian forces have been repatriated. The government says returnees are undergoing counselling to address trauma linked to their experience at the front line. Officials admit it remains difficult to determine the full number of those involved or those who may have died.
Families of some recruits have reported being unable to recover the bodies of their relatives. Kenyan authorities are engaging both Russian and Ukrainian officials to trace and repatriate remains where possible.
The issue gained urgency after Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence announced that the bodies of two Kenyan nationals were recovered near Lyman in the Donetsk region.
The deaths add to growing concern over reports that foreign nationals, including Africans, are being drawn into the conflict.