Kenya FM Flies to Moscow to Halt Russian Army Press-Ganging

Kenya’s foreign minister took off for a visit to Moscow on Sunday in a bid to put a stop to the Russian army’s forced conscription of Kenyan citizens to fight in Ukraine.

Musalia Mudavadi is set to meet several members of the Russian government, including his Kremlin counterpart Sergey Lavrov, on Monday and Tuesday, according to a Kenyan foreign ministry statement.

Mudavadi will bid to secure the repatriation of Kenyans currently stranded in Russia after being lured to the country with promises of well-paid civilian work, only to be press-ganged into fighting for the Russian army in Ukraine.

AFP is among the outlets to have recently reported on Moscow’s forced conscription of Kenyans sent to the front line with limited training. The east African country’s intelligence services estimate that more than 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited, according to a report seen by AFP.

Besides the press-ganging issue, Mudavadi will also seek to negotiate an agreement allowing Kenyans easier access to the Russian job market.

According to the foreign ministry statement, Nairobi’s top diplomat’s outreach to the Kremlin “will include a push for the facilitation of the affected Kenyans through a safe process for their repatriation”.

“Mudavadi’s talks with the Russian top government officials will seek to address the situation that surrounds Kenyans who may have been voluntarily or involuntarily drafted in the Russian military.

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“The engagement is focused on a broad coordinated government action to protect Kenyans abroad, by ensuring that they work in a safe working environment and live dignified lives away from home,” the statement said.

In late February, South Africa managed to secure the repatriation of 15 of its citizens who had asked for help from the government, claiming to be trapped in the eastern Donbas region after being lured into fighting for Russia by deceit.

Similar revelations have caused an uproar in Kenya, with Mudavadi’s deputy, Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, denouncing Russia’s “unacceptable” use of Kenyans as “cannon fodder”.