DCI Busts Ring Recruiting Kenyans To Russian Army To Fight In Ukraine With Fake Jobs Offer

Security agencies have cracked a sophisticated human trafficking ring that has been luring unsuspecting Kenyans with promises of lucrative employment in Moscow, only to force them into military service on the Russia-Ukraine war front.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Wednesday night raided the Great Wall Apartments in Athi River, rescuing 21 Kenyans who were being processed for travel to Russia under the elaborate scam.

The intelligence-led operation by the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) also led to the arrest of Edward Kamau Gituku, who investigators say was the key coordinator processing victims scheduled to travel between September and October for military enlistment disguised as overseas employment.

During interrogation, the victims revealed they had signed agreements with an unnamed overseas employment support agency that bound them to pay between Sh1.65 million and Sh2.31 million for visas, travel, accommodation and logistics.

Those unable to pay within 35 days face a punitive one percent daily penalty.

Several victims had already parted with deposits ranging from Sh50,000 to Sh100,000 after being promised monthly salaries of Sh200,000 in what they believed were genuine job opportunities in Russia.

The raid yielded crucial evidence pointing to a well-coordinated criminal enterprise.

Officers recovered documents revealing a one-year partnership between Global Face Human Resource Ltd and Ecopillars Manpower Ltd to recruit, screen and deploy Kenyans to Russia.

Also seized were cheque books, travel documents and job offer letters purportedly from different countries.

Preliminary investigations suggest the trafficking network involves high-profile individuals in society, with detectives continuing to question the rescued victims to uncover the full scope of the operation.

The bust comes amid growing international concern over Kenya’s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The case has gained prominence following the capture of 36-year-old Kenyan athlete Evans Kibet by Ukrainian forces near Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast.

In a viral video clip, Kibet described how he traveled to Russia believing he would participate in track races, only to be deceived into military service. He claimed Russian handlers took his passport and phone before forcing him to sign documents in Russian, which he could not understand.

Evans told Ukrainian soldiers that he and three other Kenyans had traveled to St. Petersburg after being recruited by a sports agent. At the end of their trip, the group’s handler offered them work in Russia.

“I joined the Russian military not knowing I was being recruited. I have never been in the military, and I have never wanted a military job,” Kibet said in the footage, pleading not to be returned to Russia.

Ukrainian media reports indicate Kibet was serving with the Russian army’s 57th Motorised Infantry Brigade when captured, having confessed to Ukrainian soldiers that he had traveled to Russia as a tourist before being coerced into military service.

The Kenyan government has launched a comprehensive investigation into what Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei described as the possible sale of citizens “effectively into slavery” for Russia’s armed forces. Officials are working through the Kenyan embassy in Moscow to verify claims and gather information on other affected nationals.

Two Kenyans have recently returned from Russia bearing physical and psychological scars from their ordeal. One victim is currently admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital, while others reportedly bear wounds from torture or appear psychologically disturbed.

Kenya’s Foreign Ministry has accused Russia of using Kenyan citizens as “cannon fodder” in the Ukraine conflict, citing multiple cases where nationals were lured into military service under false pretenses.

The ministry recorded several instances of Russian authorities allegedly exploiting Kenyan nationals for military purposes.

This pattern of exploitation extends beyond Kenya, with the Ukraine Center for Countering Disinformation noting Russia’s history of using African nationals for military objectives, including the mass recruitment of women for drone production in Alabuga.

The investigation continues as authorities work to dismantle what appears to be an extensive network preying on vulnerable Kenyans seeking economic opportunities abroad.

Detectives are pursuing leads on other key players in the syndicate, with the rescued victims providing crucial intelligence on the network’s operations and recruitment methods.