Police have arrested a Russian national in connection with investigations
into the illegal recruitment of Kenyans to fight for Russia.
The arrest on Thursday evening came after
security agencies rescued 21 Kenyans from rented apartments where they were
unknowingly being processed to travel to Russia.
The suspect, who first came to Kenya in 2017,
was booked at Muthaiga Police Station, awaiting arraignment after being
arrested in Nairobi, police said.
Security officers continue
to caution Kenyans against being duped with lucrative offers of employment in
Russia, warning that victims risk being forcefully enlisted in the war between
Russia and Ukraine.
Officials said more suspects are being pursued
in connection with the syndicate, after it emerged that more than a dozen
Kenyans had already left for Russia for the mission.
Kenya’s security agencies on Wednesday
unravelled a human trafficking network that has been recruiting Kenyans under
the guise of jobs in Moscow, only for them to end up joining the Russian
military. The recruits are later deployed to the war front in Ukraine.
This success was borne out of a multi-agency
operation where officers, drawn from various security organs, focused on the
vice after it was established that Kenyans were being duped to pay huge sums to
secure employment in Russia but ended up in combat.
Some were reported killed, others maimed, while survivors bore torture
wounds or psychological trauma.
Two Kenyans recently returned to the country,
one of whom is admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital.
On September 24, 2025, the Transnational
Organised Crime Unit of the DCI led an intelligence-led operation at Great Wall
apartments in Athi River, where 21 Kenyans were found housed and awaiting
processing for travel to Russia.
The victims disclosed to officers that they
had signed agreements with an overseas employment support agency binding them
to pay between Sh1.65 million and Sh2.31 million for visas, travel,
accommodation, and logistics. Those unable to pay within 35 days were slapped
with a 1% daily penalty.
Some victims indicated they had already paid
deposits ranging from Sh50,000 to Sh100,000 after being promised salaries of up
to Sh200,000.
During the raid, officers recovered documents
suggesting high-level recruitment activity, including partnership agreements
between recruitment firms, cheque books, travel documents, and job offer
letters from various countries.
A preliminary investigation points to a
well-coordinated recruitment scam with some of the players believed to be
senior figures in society. The rescued victims are expected to shed more light
on the operations.
Some of the men appeared to be ex-police
officers and soldiers, though the majority were civilians from various parts of
Kenya.
Several narrated how they had paid agents to
secure jobs abroad. One father of three from Kiambu County said he had been
promised a military job in Russia with a salary of Sh250,000.
