Kenya is grappling with a growing human-trafficking concern after new reports revealed that young Kenyan women are being deceived into travelling to Russia, only to end up working under exploitative conditions in drone-assembly factories linked to the ongoing war in Ukraine. According to investigative accounts and testimonies gathered from returnees, the women were recruited through social media and unofficial labour agents who promised high-paying technical or hospitality jobs in Eastern Europe. Instead, upon arrival, many found their passports confiscated, movement restricted, and were forced into long shifts in hazardous environments manufacturing drone components for military use.
The exploitation comes amid a surge in fraudulent overseas job offers targeting Kenyan youth, particularly women seeking quick employment abroad. Just weeks earlier, the Kenyan government had issued alerts about fake recruitment drives to South Korea and the Middle East, underscoring a wider pattern in which traffickers use legitimate-sounding opportunities to lure victims into coerced labour. The situation has been exacerbated by economic pressures at home and the appeal of foreign currency earnings, creating fertile ground for transnational trafficking networks. Russian wartime labour shortages and the expansion of its unmanned-aerial-vehicle programme have further fuelled the demand for cheap, expendable labour from unsuspecting migrants.
The revelations have sparked strong reaction from Nairobi, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora Affairs Department launching investigations and urging families to report relatives who may have travelled through suspicious recruiters. Human-rights organisations are pushing for enhanced bilateral cooperation with Russia to locate affected Kenyans and secure repatriations, while demanding stricter oversight of labour-export agencies at home. The findings have also intensified public debate about the safety of young Kenyans seeking work abroad and the responsibilities of both government and recruitment intermediaries.