The government has announced an agreement with the Russian Federation for the immediate release of Kenyans being held in military camps across Russia without their consent.
In a statement, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi revealed the decision followed months of diplomatic engagement between the two countries amid reports that several Kenyans were caught up in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Mudavadi revealed that the two governments agreed that those detained against their will should be handed over to the Kenyan Mission in Moscow to facilitate their safe repatriation to Kenya.
"The governments of Kenya and Russia have also reached an agreement that those being held without their consent should be released to our Mission in Moscow with immediate effect," the statement read.
"The Embassy will also continue to be in contact where possible with the others and facilitate those who manage to get out of the camps and wish to return home."
Cases of Kenyans being taken to fight in the war in Russia came to light after a video emerged of an individual who was reportedly arrested by Ukrainian soldiers for allegedly serving in the Russian forces. The man claimed to have been duped into joining President Vladimir Putin’s side in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The man identified as Evans allegedly told Ukrainian forces that he had travelled to Russia as a tourist before he was approached with the offer to join the Russian military.
Since the story went viral, a Russian man was taken into custody in September by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over allegations of working for the Russian government to recruit Kenyans to fight in the war.
Talks have since kicked off between the government of Kenya and that of Russia, with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledging the complexity of the situation, particularly because some of the Kenyans duped into going to war were arrested by Ukrainian forces.
The issue of inadvertently flying out to participate in the ongoing war spans several nationalities, with many victims reporting being misled by unscrupulous recruitment agents posing as legitimate representatives.
In his statement, Mudavadi expressed concern that Kenyan youth remained the most susceptible to falling for the scam by eyeing lucrative opportunities, only to end up in active combat zones.
The Kenyan Mission in Moscow has managed to rescue several Kenyans from military bases and provided them with emergency travel documents for their safe return to the country.
Meanwhile, to prevent further exploitation, the government has instructed immigration and security agencies to intensify surveillance at airports and border points to nab individuals involved in the illegal recruitment to foreign wars.
The Kenyan Embassy in Moscow also issued a public advisory on its website, urging Kenyans visiting Russia to remain vigilant and register with the mission upon arrival.
