The government has announced an amnesty for Kenyan citizens recruited into Russia’s military operations, allowing those unwilling to continue to return home safely.
Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi said the deal was reached after talks with Sergey Lavrov, with Russia agreeing to halt the recruitment of Kenyans. The government will also launch a public awareness campaign as it moves to repatriate affected nationals, noting that over 250 Kenyans had been enlisted.
In a statement dated March 22, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs said Russia had agreed to place Kenya on a “STOP LIST” to prevent further enlistment of its nationals into the Russia-Ukraine war.
The agreement followed Mudavadi’s official visit to Moscow from March 15 to 18, where he held a formal bilateral meeting with Lavrov.
“In addressing the issue of Kenyan citizens recruited to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, the two countries agreed to stop any further recruitment of Kenyan nationals into the Russian Special Military Operations (SMO),” the statement said.
It added that Kenyans currently involved but unwilling to continue “were to be immediately disengaged and freed to travel back to Kenya.”
Mudavadi disclosed that “so far, 44 Kenyans have been safely repatriated back home, while 11 have been reported missing in action/killed in action, 38 are currently hospitalized in various Russian hospitals under restricted access, leaving 160 Kenyan officers still actively involved in SMO.”
According to the ministry, approximately 252 Kenyans are part of the operations, although a report by the National Intelligence Service presented to Parliament in February 2026 indicated that over 1,000 Kenyans may have been recruited.
As part of the agreement, Kenya’s embassy in Moscow has been granted consular access to nationals in hospitals and civilian facilities to support the repatriation of the injured and facilitate “the dignified return of the remains of those who have lost their lives.”
Both countries have also initiated information sharing to curb human trafficking, smuggling, and illegal recruitment linked to the operations.
The government has since launched a nationwide awareness campaign dubbed Linda Mkenya Majuu to educate citizens on legitimate overseas job opportunities and warn against illegal recruitment schemes.
Mudavadi noted that authorities have already shut down more than 600 unlicensed recruitment agencies suspected of human trafficking.
The amnesty comes despite Kenyan law prohibiting citizens from joining foreign armed forces without presidential approval, an offence that can attract up to 10 years’ imprisonment. However, the government said its immediate focus is on securing the safe return of affected Kenyans.
