The Russian embassy in Nairobi on Thursday denied Moscow’s involvement in the illegal recruitment of Kenyans for the war in Ukraine, but said foreign nationals could voluntarily join the Russian armed forces.
Parliamentary Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, presenting the report on Wednesday, spoke of an alleged network of corrupt government officials who collaborated with human trafficking rings to recruit Kenyans for the war in Ukraine.
The targets were former soldiers and policemen, but also unemployed people who were promised monthly salaries of about 350,000 shillings, or about $2,715, and bonuses of up to 1.2 million shillings, which is about $9,309. “So far, more than 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited and gone to fight in the Russian-Ukrainian war,” Ichung’wah said.
Kenya announced in November that more than 200 of its nationals were fighting for Russia. In the same month, Ukraine announced that, along with Russian forces, there are about 1,400 citizens from about thirty African countries on its territory, some of whom were fraudulently recruited.
According to a new report, by February this year, 89 Kenyans were on the Ukrainian battlefield, 39 of them were hospitalized, while 28 were missing.
It is said that the recruits initially traveled on tourist visas and went to Russia via Turkey or the United Arab Emirates. After increased controls at Nairobi airport, journeys took place via Uganda, the Republic of South Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The report alleges that recruitment agencies worked with corrupt staff at the Kenyan airport, immigration services and other government institutions, as well as staff at the Russian embassy in Nairobi and the Kenyan embassy in Moscow, to facilitate the trips.
The Russian Embassy in Kenya announced that the Russian authorities have never engaged in the illegal recruitment of Kenyan citizens into the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. They added that they did not issue visas to Kenyans with the intention of participating in, as they say, the Special Military Operation in Ukraine, but pointed out that according to Russian law, foreign citizens can voluntarily enlist in the army.
A Kenyan foreign ministry spokesman was not immediately available for comment on the allegations involving the Kenyan embassy in Moscow.
Meanwhile, reports of African citizens who, with promises of bodyguard jobs, ended up on the Ukrainian battlefield are becoming more frequent, which has caused diplomatic tensions between Moscow and certain countries.
On Wednesday, four South Africans returned home after being held in Ukraine’s Donbass region, as part of a group of 17 people who requested help from their government last year.
The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced last week that 27 Kenyans who had been detained in Russia had been rescued. Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi has announced a visit to Russia next month to discuss the issue.
(Vijesti.ba)
