Officials say the recruits were drawn in by promises of high pay and non-combat work, only to find themselves in a live conflict zone. The warning comes after Ukraine reported that over 1,400 nationals from around three dozen African countries are now fighting alongside Russian forces.

Kenya Confirms Scale Of Recruitment

Kenya’s foreign ministry said reports suggest “over two hundred” Kenyans may have joined the Russian military, including some with previous service in the country’s “disciplined forces.”

The statement, issued on Wednesday, links the Kenyan figure to Ukraine’s broader estimate that more than 1,400 citizens from some 30-plus African states are already fighting on Russia’s side.

Officials stressed that recruitment exercises in Russia “have reportedly expanded to include African nationals, including Kenyans,” and that networks remain active on both Russian and Kenyan soil.

Deceptive Job Offers And ‘Death Sentence’ Warning

According to the ministry, Kenya’s embassy in Moscow has documented injuries among some of the recruits, who were allegedly promised packages of up to $18,000 to cover visas, travel, and accommodation.

Many believed they were signing up for non-combat roles such as assembling drones, handling chemicals, or painting, only to be deployed toward front-line duties once in theater.

Ukraine’s foreign minister Andriy Sybiha has described such enlistment contracts as “equivalent to ... a death sentence,” and called on African capitals to caution their citizens against what he portrays as lethal misrepresentation.

Security Raid Near Nairobi Targets Recruiters

Kenyan authorities also highlighted a domestic enforcement push after a security raid on the outskirts of Nairobi in September.

In that operation, 21 Kenyans were rescued as they were “being prepared for deployment to the war,” and one suspected coordinator was arrested and is now facing prosecution, the ministry said.

Officials argue that these recruitment schemes intersect with a wider pattern of Kenyan nationals being drawn into “forced criminality” abroad, and have urged the public to treat unusually lucrative overseas offers with heightened skepticism.