REVEALED! NIS uncovers how desperate Kenyans are lured into Russian Army with lucrative offers as death toll rises in Ukraine

Thursday, February 19, 2026 - National Assembly Majority Leader, Kimani Ichung’wah, has tabled intelligence reports exposing a clandestine recruitment pipeline luring Kenyans into Russia’s military ranks.

According to the National Intelligence Service (NIS), private agencies and rogue officials are facilitating the enlistment of ex-police officers, former soldiers, and civilians aged between their mid‑20s and 50s, lured by promises of lucrative pay and citizenship.

The reports reveal that recruiters offered monthly salaries of about Ksh350,000, bonuses ranging from Ksh900,000 to Ksh1.2 million, and eventual Russian citizenship.

More than 1,000 Kenyans are believed to have left the country, with updates from February 2026 confirming at least 200 already deployed in combat.

Victims were flown out on tourist visas via Istanbul and Abu Dhabi, while others rerouted through Uganda, DRC, and South Africa to avoid scrutiny at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Investigations indicate collusion between rogue staff at the Directorate of Immigration Services, DCI, Anti‑Narcotics Unit, and National Employment Authority, alongside officials at the Russian Embassy in Nairobi and Kenya’s Embassy in Moscow.

One agency along Koinange Street allegedly recruited youth under the “Kazi Majuu” banner, with medical screenings conducted at three Nairobi CBD offices.

In September, the Transnational Organised Crimes Unit rescued 22 Kenyans from holding premises at Great Wall Garden Apartments.

Returnees disclosed undergoing three weeks of military training in Moscow despite being promised non‑combat roles.

Current figures show 39 Kenyans hospitalised, 30 repatriated, 28 missing, 35 in camps, 89 on the front line, one detained, and one having completed contract.

At least 10 deaths have been confirmed, with the toll possibly rising to 18, while four remain prisoners of war in Ukraine.

Foreign Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, is due to travel to Moscow to address the issue of Kenyans being unlawfully recruited into the Ukraine‑Russia war.

Mudavadi emphasized that the Government is committed to safeguarding Kenyans abroad, not only from war‑related recruitment but also from broader human rights abuses tied to overseas employment.

The Kenyan DAILY POST