Kenya has started talks with Russia on how Kenyans can work there safely, even as concerns remain over recent cases where some were taken into military service without proper information.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said the discussions started after a meeting with Russian Ambassador Vsevolod Tkachenko in Nairobi.
“The two countries are trying to have an agreement on the guidelines to enable Kenyans to secure employment opportunities in Russia,” Mudavadi said.
He further stated that the meetings also addressed issues including trade, investments, energy and technology among others.
This move comes in wake of numerous reports of Kenyan youths being deceived through the false promises of decent jobs in Russia only to find themselves forced to offer their services in the Russian military during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
According to the media, more than 1,000 youths from Kenya fell victim to this scheme.
Earlier, Mudavadi had said that Kenya and Russia have already reached an agreement to stop recruiting of Kenyans for military tasks. In addition, efforts are already underway to repatriate those who had already left the country.
However, he emphasized that the victims will not be compensated as they didn’t notify the government before departing from the nation.
The agreement intends to ensure that things like this do not happen again, especially among Kenyans with risky professions.
In addition to this, the meetings also addressed ways of helping Kenyan citizens living in Russia especially after experiencing the impact of Russia-Ukraine war.
The talks have shown increasing relations between Russia and Kenya and also exploring more ways of working together especially in the business world.