MOSCOW – Kenya announced an agreement with Russia on March 16 to end the enlistment of Kenyans in Moscow’s Ukraine conflict, responding to outrage over recruitment drives promising high salaries and bonuses. More than 1,000 Kenyans have joined Russian forces, lured by monthly pay of thousands of dollars and over $6,000 signing bonuses, per Kenyan estimates, a figure five times higher than prior reports.
After talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi confirmed the pact. “We have now agreed that Kenyans shall not be enlisted through the Ministry of Defence—they will no longer be eligible,” Mudavadi said at a joint briefing. Consular aid for existing recruits will flow through official channels.
Lavrov described the fighters as voluntary contractors supporting Russia’s “special military operation.” Kyiv claims over 1,700 Africans on the Russian side; Russia’s defense ministry did not comment.
Mudavadi, who sought the halt pre-trip amid family pressures and a February intelligence report exposing official collusion with traffickers, emphasized broader ties. He hailed Soviet backing for Kenya’s 1963 independence and pitched growth in energy, tourism, and agriculture. “Our partnership with Russia is much more broad than the special operation agenda,” he added.