National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has presented comprehensive intelligence reports connecting private agencies and corrupt officials to a rising recruitment pipeline for the Russian military.
According to the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the ongoing conflict has spurred aggressive recruitment of foreign fighters, with Kenyan former police officers, ex-soldiers, and civilians aged mid-20s to 50 being targeted.
The recruiters reportedly offered monthly salaries of approximately Ksh350,000, bonuses between Ksh900,000 and Ksh1.2 million, and potential Russian citizenship to job seekers struggling with unemployment.
Intelligence reports submitted to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations show that more than 1,000 Kenyans have departed the country, with recent data from February 2026 confirming that at least 200 have been recruited into active combat roles.
Many victims were reportedly flown out on tourist visas via Istanbul and Abu Dhabi, while others rerouted through Uganda, DRC, and South Africa to bypass stricter inspections at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The report reveals that these agencies have been collaborating with corrupt airport staff from the Directorate of Immigration Services, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU), and the National Employment Authority (NEA) to facilitate the recruits without interception at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
It further indicates that the rogue agencies have also been colluding with staff at the Russian Embassy in Nairobi and the Kenyan Embassy in Moscow, who have been issuing the recruits with Russian visit visas. Similarly, some civilians working in Qatar, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Jordan, and Asian countries accepted the lucrative offer and traveled to Russia.
One agency named in the briefing is reportedly operating along Koinange Street and allegedly recruiting youth under the Kazi Majuu initiative banner. Medical screenings for recruits were allegedly conducted at three agencies within Nairobi CBD before departure.
Investigators from the Transnational Organised Crimes Unit (TOCU) raided holding premises at Great Wall Garden Apartments in September, rescuing 22 Kenyans aged between 24 and 38 awaiting travel.
Victims who have returned home state they underwent three weeks of military training in Moscow before deployment to battlefields, despite being promised non-combat positions such as drone painting.
As of February 2026, 39 Kenyans are hospitalized, 30 repatriated, 28 missing in action, 35 stationed in camps, 89 on the front line, one detained, and one completed contract.
Four Kenyans remain prisoners of war in Ukrainian custody and approximately 27 others remain unaccounted for.
Some recruits did not leave directly from Kenya but were already working in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Dubai, Jordan, and parts of Asia before relocating to Russia.