New details are emerging about how young Kenyans were drawn into the Russia-Ukraine war through an organised recruitment network that operated quietly inside the country.
Families who lost contact with their sons say they were promised jobs and good pay, only to later learn that they had been taken to fight in a foreign war.
For many months, relatives have searched for answers about what really happened.
Apart from one suspect who was arrested and charged in court, the government has offered little explanation about how the operation was allowed to grow.
What is now becoming clear is that the recruitment did not happen by chance. It followed a planned process that involved brokers, foreign contacts, and alleged cooperation from some officials in key state offices.
At the centre of the story is a man known as “Reds,” who claims he helped link Kenyan recruits with Russian contacts.
According to him, the plan started with a phone call in December 2024 from a Russian national identified as Mikhail Lyapin, also known as “Mike.” Lyapin and another Russian associate reportedly asked him to help find Kenyan men who could be sent to Russia to join the army.
Reds says the target group was former police officers, soldiers, and youth with basic military training such as those from the National Youth Service.
He reached out to people he knew within the Department of Defence and later to officers in the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. Meetings were held in Nairobi where the proposal was discussed and allegedly approved by senior officers.
As the network grew, links were made with the Ministry of Labour and recruitment agencies. The chairman of the Association of Skilled Migrant Agencies of Kenya, Francis Wahome, was also mentioned as part of the chain.
The Immigration Department was accused of allowing recruits to travel without raising questions.
Payments were allegedly made for every person sent out of the country. Labour officials were said to receive small amounts, while airport and immigration officers were paid higher sums.
This allowed recruits to get visas and flights without problems. Messages sent to recruits promised a one-year contract, a large signing bonus, and a high monthly salary. Many accepted despite knowing the risks.
Some recruits had military experience, but others had none. They were trained briefly and told to say they were experienced fighters.
Before leaving Kenya, they were housed in apartments in places like Mavoko, Kiserian, and Roysambu, where they were shown war videos and given basic Russian language lessons.
Records show that many electronic visas were issued by the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the same time, a document at the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs confirmed that Kenyans were eligible for Russian e-visas, suggesting official awareness of the travel.
Several names of those who left Kenya have since surfaced. One is Ronald Regan Owuor, who travelled in April 2025 and was later injured after being absorbed into the Russian army.
Others, including Ombwori Denis Bagaka and Magero Jeremiah Oriyo, disappeared after being assigned to military units.
Police later raided some recruitment houses and rescued more than 50 Kenyans. A suspect, Edward Gituku, was charged with trafficking in persons.
Still, many others had already left the country.Parliamentary intelligence reports show the scale of the damage.
Dozens of Kenyans are said to be wounded in hospitals, some have been brought back home, others are missing, and many remain on the battlefield. What looked like a chance to escape unemployment turned into a trap built on lies and bribery.
There are also claims that some Kenyans are being recruited to fight for Ukraine through a different route. Meanwhile, the Russian government has denied that Lyapin is connected to its embassy or official institutions.
The case points to a serious failure of accountability. Officials trusted to protect citizens are accused of helping send them into danger.
With Musalia Mudavadi expected to travel to Russia soon, families hope the truth will finally come out and that those responsible will be held to account.
