Key Points
- Police arrest a man near the Ethiopian border over an alleged recruitment scheme
- An intelligence report says over 1,000 Kenyans sent to fight
- Families protest in Nairobi, demanding government action
- Russia denies issuing visas for combat recruitment
ISLAMABAD: Kenyan police have arrested a man accused of helping traffic citizens to Russia under false job promises, only for them to end up fighting in the war in Ukraine, international media reported on Thursday, quoting the Kenyan authorities.
The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Festus Arasa Omwamba, was detained in the northern town of Moyale, near Kenya’s border with Ethiopia.
Officials say he is believed to be part of a wider human trafficking network targeting vulnerable young men with offers of employment in Europe.
According to Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations, victims were promised legitimate work opportunities abroad but were instead drawn into dangerous and unlawful roles after arriving in Russia.
Local media, quoting police spokesperson Michael Muchiri, reported that Omwamba had recently returned from Russia and was arrested on suspicion of recruiting Kenyans into the Russian military. He is expected to appear in court.
ARREST OF A WANTED HUMAN TRAFFICKER
Detectives based at Moyale Police Station have apprehended 33-year-old Festus Arasa Omwamba, a man who has been on the police radar for his involvement in human trafficking.
Festus is believed to be a key player in a more extensive human… pic.twitter.com/A2LdA4iF9H
— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) February 25, 2026
The arrest follows a report by Kenya’s National Intelligence Service stating that more than 1,000 Kenyan citizens have been recruited to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to the report, 89 Kenyans are currently on the front lines, 39 are hospitalised, and 28 are missing in action.
The findings have sparked public concern. Dozens of families gathered in Nairobi in recent days to demand government intervention and the safe return of their relatives.
Some families reported that they had lost contact with loved ones and were still waiting for official information.
Others are mourning relatives reported killed in combat.
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The Russian embassy in Nairobi has denied the allegations, describing them as misleading.
In a statement issued last week, it said it had not issued visas to Kenyan citizens travelling to Russia to fight in Ukraine.
Russia does not prevent foreign nationals from voluntarily joining its armed forces, it added.
Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi has said he plans to travel to Russia in March to raise the issue with Russian authorities and seek assistance in repatriating Kenyans believed to be stranded.
The case highlights growing concerns about the recruitment of foreign nationals into the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has drawn individuals from several countries on both sides of the war.
