Nairobi seeks talks with Moscow as reports grow of Kenyans recruited to fight in Ukraine.

Kenya says it will engage Russia over increasing reports that its citizens are being recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine, a practice Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi described as unacceptable and covert.

Mudavadi said Kenya has shut down illegal recruitment networks and will urge Moscow to sign an agreement banning the conscription of Kenyan nationals.

The government estimates around 200 Kenyans have been recruited, though exact numbers are unclear because none are believed to have travelled through official channels.

Kenya’s talks with Russia will focus on curbing illicit recruitment, including discussions on visa rules and labour agreements that explicitly exclude military service.

Authorities have closed more than 600 suspected recruitment agencies accused of misleading Kenyans with false job offers abroad.

So far, 27 Kenyans who fought in Russia have been repatriated and are receiving psychological support, according to Mudavadi.

The number of Kenyans killed remains unknown, and Russia has not formally addressed the allegations. Families seeking information from the Russian embassy in Nairobi say they have been turned away.

Public pressure has mounted following the discovery of more bodies of Kenyans linked to Russian forces. While some families blame the government for failing to regulate recruiters, Mudavadi rejected the criticism, saying authorities continue to dismantle illegal agencies.

CBI News reports that Ukrainian intelligence estimates more than 1,400 Africans from 36 countries have been recruited to fight for Russia, and has warned foreign fighters they will be treated as enemy combatants unless they surrender.