Ministry of Interior Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei has announced that another Kenyan who was irregularly conscripted into the Russian military is being repatriated following successful rescue efforts by Kenya's diplomatic mission in Moscow.
In a statement released on Wednesday, October 1, Sing'oei identified the rescued individual as Kevin Kariuki Nduma, marking the fourth Kenyan to be brought home from the dangerous situation.
"Another Kenyan, Kevin Kariuki Nduma, irregularly conscripted to serve in the Russian military, is on his way back home. I commend our Mission in Moscow for the effort to rescue and repatriate Kenyans caught in this unfortunate and dangerous situation," the PS stated.
Sing'oei took the opportunity to caution Kenyans seeking employment opportunities abroad to exercise extreme vigilance when evaluating foreign job offers.
"We implore Kenyans to exercise all diligence in verifying the authenticity of any foreign employment contracts and to seek advice from the Ministry and particularly our Diaspora State department should they have doubt," he emphasized.
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This latest rescue comes just days after the government announced the successful repatriation of three other Kenyans on September 27. Sing'oei had then confirmed that Shaquille Wambo, Pius Mwika, and Derick Njaga were safely rescued by the Kenyan Mission in Moscow and were on their way home to their families.
"Our Mission and our teams at headquarters are doing what we can to address the situation of those captured as prisoners of war. I thank Ambassador Peter Mathuki and the Team," Sing'oei said in his September 27 statement.
The cases have brought to light a troubling pattern of Kenyans being deceived into joining the Russian military, with some ending up as prisoners of war in Ukraine.
On September 20, Sing'oei had first acknowledged that the government was monitoring reports of three or four Kenyans allegedly trafficked to Russia and being held as POWs by Ukrainian forces, assuring their families that both the Moscow mission and headquarters teams were handling the matter urgently.
The issue gained international attention in late September when a video emerged showing Evans Kibet, a 36-year-old Kenyan aspiring long-distance runner, pleading not to be sent back to Russia while in Ukrainian custody.
In the emotional footage, Kibet claimed he had been deceived into joining the Russian army and expressed desperation to return home to see his teenage daughter.
According to Ukrainian officials, the situation is not unique to Kenya. Petro Yatsenko, Ukraine's spokesperson on prisoner-of-war treatment, revealed that citizens from various countries including Somalia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba, and Sri Lanka are currently held in Ukrainian POW camps.
"Most of these individuals come from poorer countries and end up on the Russian side in different ways. Some are deceived, promised jobs at factories, while others join the war voluntarily," Yatsenko explained.
