Relatives of Kenyan nationals conscripted by the Russian army in Ukraine pose with photos of their family members during a prayer and peaceful demonstration demanding urgent government action to repatriate their kin, in Nairobi on February 19, 2026. Picture: Simon Maina / AFP The families of 35 Kenyans lured into fighting for the Russian army demanded on Thursday that their government take action to bring them home. Multiple media investigations, including one published earlier this month by AFP, have exposed how Russia has enticed men from African countries with promises of lucrative civilian jobs, only to force them into fighting on the front line in Ukraine.
An intelligence report presented to parliament on Wednesday said more than 1,000 Kenyans had gone to fight for Russia. While some are ex-soldiers leaving to become mercenaries, many appear to have been tricked by rogue recruitment agencies working with Russian authorities. Families of the recruits gathered in Nairobi for a protest on Thursday, holding placards with their photos and captions like “Bring our son back”.
“We hope to get any information about my brother — dead or alive or injured… At least we can bring closure to this,” said Winnie Rose Wambui. Her brother, Samuel Maina, went to Russia believing he had a job as a security guard at a mall. Several families told AFP they had not heard from their relatives for months.
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Wambui said her brother sent a “distress voice note” on October 31 from a forest, asking the family to pray for him. They have not heard from him since. “The ministry of foreign affairs is not helping us,” she said. “They told us if we have questions we have go to the Kenyan embassy in Moscow.”
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