Kenya's Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei held discussions with Ukraine’s Ambassador to Kenya Yurii Tokar regarding the safety and potential repatriation of Kenyans captured during the Russia-Ukraine war. This diplomatic engagement follows an investigation revealing a network facilitating the recruitment and trafficking of Kenyans to fight in the conflict.

• Over 1,000 Kenyans, including former military personnel and police officers, were lured with promises of lucrative pay and foreign citizenship.
• Rogue officials from institutions like the Directorate of Immigration Services, the DCI, and the National Employment Authority were implicated in facilitating their movement.
• Recruits were reportedly offered monthly salaries of up to Sh350,000 and bonuses ranging between Sh900,000 and Sh1.2 million.
• As of February 2026, 39 Kenyans were hospitalized, 30 repatriated, 28 missing, 89 on the frontlines, and at least one death confirmed.
• The recruitment fees reportedly reached as high as Sh1.6 million per individual.