Kenyan police arrest man accused of recruiting fighters for Russia war

Police in Kenya have arrested a man named in the alleged scheme that duped Kenyans with promises of skilled work in Russia, only for them to end up on the front lines of the fighting in Ukraine. Festus Omwamba was arrested on suspicion of human trafficking in the northern Kenyan town of Moyale, near the border with Ethiopia, and will be transported to the capital, Nairobi. Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri said Omwamba was fleeing after returning from Russia.

Omwamba, who was identified by three Kenyan recruits who spoke to The Associated Press, had gone missing after families started protesting the disappearances and deaths of their relatives in the war in Ukraine. The Kenyan Government last week said more than 1,000 Kenyans were recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine and that at least 89 Kenyans were still on the front line, 39 were hospitalised, 28 were missing in action, and others had returned home. At least one person was confirmed dead.

An intelligence report presented to Kenya’s Parliament by the majority leader, Kimani Ichung’wah, said Kenyan and Russian Government officials colluded with rogue job recruitment agencies to lure Kenyans to the front lines. The Russian Embassy in Nairobi denied the allegations, saying in a statement on Thursday that it never issued visas to anyone intending to travel to Russia to fight in Ukraine.

It added: “The Russian Federation does not preclude citizens of foreign countries from voluntarily enlisting in the armed forces.” Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi on Feb 9 told the AP that he would travel to Russia for what he called a “diplomatic approach to rein in any dubious entities that are taking advantage of anyone in this misadventure.” Mudavadi added that efforts to secure the release of Kenyans in Ukrainian prisons and repatriate those in Russia were ongoing.

“You recall that even at the highest level, the president made an appeal that if indeed there are Kenyans who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law, the appeal was made to the Ukrainian Government to look at how they can be processed and brought back,” the minister explained. Omwamba’s arrest is a major development in the Government’s push to stop the recruitment of Kenyans to fight in Ukraine.

A recruit who escaped from the front line and sought refuge at the Kenyan Embassy in Russia, and was later processed for return home, John Kamau, told the AP he met Omwamba at a house in Nairobi where fellow recruits awaiting travel to Russia were kept. Another recruit, who requested anonymity for fear of being tracked down by Russians, said Omwamba avoided contacting the recruits by text message and would instead call them or meet them in person.

The recruit had signed up after being told he would get a plumbing job in Russia, but on arrival, his passport was taken away and he was taken to a military camp for a few days before being deployed to the front line. All recruits said Omwamba oversaw their tourist visa applications and ticket purchases, and two weeks after the first contact, they received visas and travelled to Russia.