Man accused of trafficking Kenyans to Russia remanded for 14 more days
Crime and Justice
By
Kamau Muthoni
| Mar 06, 2026
Festus Arasa Omwamba, Manager at Global Face Human Resource, before the Kahawa Law Courts. [Winfrey Owino, Standard]
A man accused of allegedly trafficking Kenyans to Russia to fight in the war with Ukraine will spend 14 more days behind bars for the court to establish if he qualifies to be released on bail.
Kahawa Magistrate Gideon Kiage on Thursday said that although Festus Omwamba’s lawyers claimed he has a place to live in Kitengela and Kisii, there was no evidence to corroborate the claims.
At the same time, the magistrate directed the probation office to do a social inquiry on who Omwamba is in the society for clarity.
“I do not have information on the place of abode of the accused person. Reference was made on the accused person place of abode. However, there is no tangible evidence on his place of abode, it is unclear whether he does qualify for bail and bond. There is also need to establish the social ties of the accused person. The court has no way of assessing if the accused qualifies for bail and bond and what are the suitable terms,” ruled Kiage.
During the hearing, a WhatsApp message he allegedly sent to the investigating officer was at the heart of a spirited argument by the State that he should not be released.
The message appeared to be a confession that he had broken the law and expressed his willingness to surrender, provided his safety was guaranteed.
“Hello, sir, I know you’re really looking for me. I know I have done wrong. Let me surrender myself to you. I don’t want to hide. Only guarantee my safety in your hands, sir. I have received several threats, and I do not want to side with the Russians,” the message, sent to Sergeant Salima, read.
Omwamba’s lawyers argued that the message should not be used in court because the investigator allegedly failed to caution him. They insisted that Omwamba’s surrender was intended to assist the police with investigations, with the hope that he would not be charged.
Conversely, prosecutor Kennedy Amwayi and the victims’ lawyer Ndegwa Njiru told the court that the message demonstrated Omwamba’s awareness that his 40 days had ended, as he was already wanted under a warrant of arrest. [Kamau Muthoni]
It emerged that Omwamba had been in Ethiopia before surrendering to Immigration officials at the Isiolo border, who then handed him over to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Njiru likened Omwamba to a fugitive warlord, comparing his actions to crimes against humanity committed in Congo and Yugoslavia, and argued that conscripting Kenyans into the Russian military amounted to international crimes, triable before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
He added that Omwamba’s entry through Moyale did not constitute a voluntary surrender to authorities, but suggested he was sneaking into the country.
Amwayi argued that Omwamba had a warrant of arrest from Karatina after jumping bail. “His surrender was not out of goodwill; he knew his time for hiding had ended. If released, he may abscond to evade trial. There is no evidence of family ties,” Amwayi said.
He further stated that Edward Gituku Kamau, also charged with trafficking Kenyans to Russia, is an employee of Omwamba. Kamau was arrested after detectives raided a house where 25 men were allegedly preparing to travel to Russia. He denied the charges and was released on bail.
In response, Otieno insisted that his client was surrendering to the police in order to provide a statement and help unravel the trafficking network. “They are saying that this person is being hunted by Russian mercenaries. This person is here. This is a forwarded text. Your Honour, the investigating officer said he was in company with another officer. The affidavit is made of hearsay. We know there are victims, but the accused’s rights must be protected,” Otieno said.