‘Dangerous propaganda’ Russia embassy says on claims linking staff to war recruitment

The Russian embassy in Nairobi on Thursday dismissed “dangerous and misleading” allegations it was facilitating recruitment of Kenyans to fight in Ukraine.

This came after a National Intelligence Service report tabled in the National Assembly linked some of its staff in the collusion.

Presenting the report to MPs, National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung'wah explained how recruitment agencies have allegedly been colluding with rogue officers from Kenya Airports Authority, Immigration, DCI and National Employment Authority to facilitate recruits' travel.

Ichung'wah (Kikuyu) said the officers from the aforementioned agencies have also been colluding with staff at the Russian embassy and the Kenyan embassy in Moscow to help recruits get Russian visas.

However, the embassy in the statement dismissed the accusations as a “propaganda campaign”. It said Russian authorities have never engaged in illegal recruitment of Kenyan citizens.

The embassy also said it had not issued visas to Kenyans who sought to travel to Russia specifically to participate in what Moscow calls its “Special Military Operation” in Ukraine.

At the same time, it clarified that Russian law allows foreign nationals who are legally present in the country to voluntarily enlist in the Russian military.

That clarification has kept the issue in the spotlight in Kenya, where concerns have grown over the widespread recruitment of Kenyans even without military experience into the war.

Some victims and returnees have also narrated how they were duped by agents on the kind of work they were being hired for, with most saying they were promised jobs as guards and drivers.

The recent statement, however, raises more questions than answers.

While the statement denies embassy involvement, it does not address whether private actors or intermediaries may be recruiting Kenyans.

With the NIS report indicating more than 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited, their visas were processed by the embassy in Nairobi.

In September last year, police arrested Russian national Mikhail Lyapin, whom they initially said was a staffer at the embassy.

The Russian embassy rejected claims Lyapin was a staff, and the claim that he was arrested and deported in connection with alleged recruitment activities.

At the time, the embassy said Lyapin had only been questioned by officers from the DCI about his business activities before leaving the country as previously planned.

Questions were raised why the Russian national wasn’t prosecuted despite the DCI initially indicating Lyapin was being processed for prosecution.

That incident marked one of the earliest public controversies linked to claims that Kenyans were being recruited to fight in Ukraine. Other African nationals have also been recruited in the Russian military.

While the embassy said it has remained in close contact with Kenyan government on the issue and expressed openness to dialogue, Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi has been compelled to travel to Moscow next month to address the matter.

In a recent interview with the BBC, Mudavadi termed the recruitment "unacceptable and clandestine", and that he would urge Moscow to sign a deal banning the conscription of Kenyan soldiers.

A security and foreign affairs expert who sought anonymity poked holes into the Russian statement, saying the embassy was being economical with the truth.

“There's no way civilians from a foreign state can be enlisted to, for example, our army without the Kenya Defence Forces knowing. If Kenyans are ending up in the war, how are they reaching Russia and entering the military system?” the analyst said.

“The statement denies recruitment but does not explain the pathway that leads to enlistment. In essence, the embassy denies involvement but does not address how Kenyans reportedly join the military once in Russia.”

While the embassy highlighted bilateral discussions on labour migration, travel arrangements and coordination between national law enforcement and security agencies, it did not address reports that Kenyans are already participating in combat in Ukraine.

Despite several families speaking of their deceased, injured or missing kin, another major omission is the status of Kenyans already there.

It failed to answer whether any Kenyans have died in the conflict, reported missing and whether families have contacted the embassy.

The Star has learnt that the embassy has been directing families of the victims to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.