At least 16 Kenyans are reported missing while 38 others are hospitalised after being recruited into Russia’s ongoing military operations, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi has revealed.
Speaking during a parliamentary briefing, on Thursday, April 2, Mudavadi said a total of 165 Kenyans had been recruited into the operations, with a number deployed to active combat zones.
The government further disclosed that some of those recruited remain unaccounted for, raising concern over their safety, while others are receiving treatment in various medical facilities.
Mudavadi, however, noted that those involved had entered into the arrangements independently, distancing the government from the recruitment process.
“Kenyans have unfortunately and voluntarily entered into contracts on their own. These agreements do not bear the emblem of the National Government of Kenya, nor do they have any signatory from a government official,” he told lawmakers.
The revelations shed light on the growing number of Kenyans caught up in foreign conflicts, many of whom are believed to have been lured by promises of lucrative employment opportunities abroad.
According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, efforts are ongoing to trace those missing and facilitate assistance, including possible repatriation for affected individuals.
Authorities have in recent months intensified a crackdown on rogue recruitment agencies suspected of facilitating the movement of Kenyans into conflict zones under the guise of job opportunities.
The government has urged Kenyans seeking employment abroad to verify opportunities through official channels to avoid falling victim to exploitation.
The latest disclosures underscore the risks associated with irregular labour migration, as families continue to seek answers over the fate of their relatives caught up in the conflict.
