Kenyans Fighting Illegally For Russia In Ukraine To Be Granted Amnesty

Kenyans enlisted to fight for Russia in the war against Ukraine will be granted amnesty on their return home, the East African nation’s foreign minister has said.

Under Kenya’s laws it is illegal for the country’s citizens to be conscripted into foreign armies – an offence that can carry up to a 10-year prison sentence.

The foreign ministry estimates that 252 Kenyans have been illegally conscripted to fight on the front line – a trend that began about six months ago and has also involved recruits from other African countries.

Some Kenyans have said they were lured to fight for Russia with promises of well-paid civilian jobs, only to find themselves forced into fighting in Ukraine – often signing contracts in Russian without understanding what was involved.

“So far 44 Kenyans have been safely repatriated back home while 11 have been reported missing in action/killed in action, 38 are currently hospitalised in various Russian hospitals under restricted access, leaving 160 Kenyans officers still actively involved,” Mudavadi said in a statement.

Mudavadi also negotiated a deal that allowed Kenyans currently on the front line and “unwilling to continue in the assignment disengaged and freed to travel back home”, the foreign ministry said.

Moscow had already agreed to put Kenya on what it called a “stop list” to prevent further recruitment, it said.

Russia has previously insisted that all foreign fighters joined voluntarily ”in full compliance with Russian law”.

Mudavadi said he and his Russian counterpart had agreed to put Kenya on what was called a “stop list” to prevent the further recruitment of Kenyans. Reuters.