Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has weighed in on Kenyans being lured into fighting for foreign nations.

Speaking on Thursday, February 5, in Kilifi County, CS Mutua said that some Kenyans are being taken abroad for jobs using visitor or tourist visas instead of employment visas.

He warned the public against travel agents who issue visitor visas in place of proper employment visas.

The Labour CS highlighted that some of the duped Kenyans end up in war zones fighting for foreign countries.

“Some people are being smuggled out of here using visitor visas. Those who were taken abroad by the government were given employment visas. Anyone who gives you a visitor visa or tourist visa for such purposes is a con. Some youths who were taken abroad have ended up fighting for other countries, and others disappeared there,” said Mutua.

He urged Kenyans seeking employment abroad to always verify job opportunities through the National Employment Authority website

“If someone tells you they will give you a chance to go abroad, be careful because there are fraudsters. Check on the National Employment Authority website, where the names of companies authorized to send people abroad are listed.

“You can also see if the specific job is listed. If the company or the job is not on the list, know that you are being deceived,” said the Labour CS.

Mutua further urged parents to verify details when their children are traveling abroad to ensure they are not deceived.

This comes days after a Kenyan national recruited into the Russian armed forces was killed while fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence in a statement identified the deceased as Clinton Nyapara Mogesa.

Ukrainian intelligence said his body was discovered at one of the positions held by Russian forces in the Donetsk region, following what it described as a deadly assault operation.

According to the report, Mogesa had previously lived and worked in Qatar before later signing a contract with the Russian army.

He was subsequently assigned to one of Russia’s assault units and deployed to the front lines in eastern Ukraine.

Mogesa was reportedly killed during a so-called 'meat assault,' a term used to describe high-casualty infantry attacks in which troops are sent forward with minimal protection or preparation.

In November 2025, another Kenyan, identified as Martin Mburu, was killed while fighting for Russia against Ukraine.

Mburu, who hailed from Kirinyaga Central, had flown to Russia a few weeks earlier and was deployed to the military after a three-day training.