Kenya heads to Moscow amid recruits' uproar

As families demand answers over the recruitment of Kenyans to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine, a government delegation will attend a conference that Moscow has been using to bolster its image on the African continent amid the ongoing conflict.

The conference is scheduled for October 28-29 in Russia’s capital, Moscow.

Coming at a time when families have petitioned Parliament seeking answers about the whereabouts of relatives allegedly duped into joining the Russian Army, Kenya’s delegation will likely face tough questions upon its return.

Last week, families disputed Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s report on the number of Kenyans who have fallen victim to Russia’s war during his appearance before a joint sitting of two Senate committees.

Amid the public outcry over Russia’s alleged deceptive recruitment of Kenyans, which the National Intelligence Service has put at 1,000 recruits, Mudavadi has not disclosed who will attend the conference, dubbed the Third Russia-Africa Summit.

“The gathering will bring together Heads of State and Government, senior officials of international organisations, leaders of the business and financial sectors, and distinguished academic and expert communities to advance substantive cooperation between Africa and the Russian Federation,” the Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary said in a response shared with The Standard.

Mudavadi, however, said the Kenyan delegation would seek to conclude discussions on bilateral relations initiated during his March visit to Moscow, where he met his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

“The matters addressed during the visit remain active on the bilateral agenda and are expected to feature in follow-up discussions during the Summit,” the statement said.

“These include an increase in scholarships for Kenyan students to 70 annually; exploration of professional opportunities for Kenyan youth; cooperation in the energy sector, including Kenya’s ambition to generate 10,000 MW and interest in Russia’s advanced nuclear expertise; progress on the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) to facilitate direct air connectivity; and expansion of Kenya’s export footprint in the Russian market through targeted trade facilitation and product diversification.”

The Standard has learnt that the government and the Russian Federation are negotiating a structured Bilateral Labour Agreement “designed to establish safe, transparent and regulated employment pathways for Kenyan nationals while ensuring robust protections for their welfare, rights and dignity”.

The government believes that, if concluded, the agreement would establish regulated and safeguarded employment channels, strengthen labour protections and welfare guarantees, and provide clear mechanisms for dispute resolution, oversight and repatriation.

“The matter of Kenyans who were recruited outside formal legal structures into foreign armed formations remains a central and carefully managed concern of the Government,” Mudavadi said in the statement.

“The welfare, safety and inherent dignity of Kenyans abroad constitute a paramount and non-negotiable priority.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Kenya’s embassy in Moscow continued to engage the Russian Federation through structured diplomatic channels, raising concerns over irregular recruitment, loss of life and the well-being of affected families.

“Our ongoing dialogue seeks to ensure accountability, appropriate support mechanisms and comprehensive protection for all Kenyan nationals involved, recognising the complex vulnerabilities and pressures that may have shaped their circumstances,” Kenya’s mission in Moscow said.

Already, the Russian Embassy in Nairobi has joined other Russian diplomatic missions across Africa in publishing social media messages promoting what they describe as Russia’s friendly ties with the continent.

Echoing messages on their official websites about Russia’s role in helping African countries fight colonialism, the embassies have highlighted relations between African nations and Moscow. Their posts feature images of African leaders meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, among them Burkina Faso leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré, in his trademark military fatigues.

However, the posts make no mention of the families affected by Russia’s recruitment of African fighters, some of whom have lost relatives in the war. Kenya is among the African countries whose citizens have been drawn into the conflict, according to reports by rights organisations.

“We are seeing great interest from our partners in the upcoming Third Russia-Africa Summit,” a post on the Russian Embassy in Nairobi’s X account said.

“Many African capitals have already confirmed participation. The Summit will give fresh momentum to the further development of Russia-Africa partnerships.”

A message on the South African Embassy’s Facebook page said preparations were underway for the summit, which would take place in Moscow and become a key event in Russia-Africa relations this year.

“Heads of state and government of all African countries, as well as the heads of executive bodies of the continent’s regional integration organisations, have been invited,” the message said.

It added that, given the mutual interest in expanding trade and investment, the summit’s agenda would focus on economic issues and their untapped potential.

Participants would discuss cooperation in agriculture, healthcare and education, as well as scientific, technological and cultural ties, the message said.

The Kenyan delegation has embraced the prospect of closer cooperation with Russia, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs describing relations between the two countries as stable since Kenya gained independence from Britain in 1963.

Kenya conducts its foreign relations based on sovereign national interests and adheres to an independent, non-aligned foreign policy, the ministry said.

Diplomatic relations between Kenya and the Russian Federation, established in 1964, have remained cordial, respectful and mutually beneficial, it added.

However, findings by international organisations investigating Russia’s recruitment practices during the war in Ukraine have raised questions about the benefits of closer ties, particularly for African countries whose citizens have allegedly been deceived into joining the conflict.

In its latest report, released last month and titled Russia Trafficking Foreign Nationals to Fight in Its War in Ukraine, Amnesty International said Russia had increasingly relied on recruiting foreign nationals, particularly from low-income countries in the Global South, to support its war effort.

The organisation said its research had found that recruitment was often deceptive or coercive and invariably exploitative.

The level of exploitation and coercion documented led Amnesty to conclude that recruitment practices targeting foreign nationals to fight for Russian forces amounted to human trafficking in many cases.

Amnesty called for an end to the practice and accountability for those directly involved or complicit in the abuses, including private recruiters, intermediaries, state officials and military commanders. It also called for full and effective reparations for individuals and families who had suffered human rights violations as a result.

“Where the crime of trafficking in persons has occurred,” the report said, “their status as victims should be considered, including those held by Ukraine as prisoners of war.”

The Hague-based Journalists for Justice (JFJ), in a report published in August, said thousands of African men had been recruited into Russia’s war through tourist visas and other means. Upon arrival in Russia, some were bound by contracts written in languages they could not understand, leaving them unable to withdraw after discovering what they had signed.

JFJ documented how the recruitment networks operated, who was behind them, the impact on victims and why governments responsible for protecting their citizens had so far failed to act.

wnyongesa@standardmedia.co.ke