President William Ruto says Russia has agreed to stop recruiting Kenyans into its armed forces, following talks with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow at the end of his trip to the Russia-Africa Summit.

Ruto thanked Putin for confirming that "Kenyans will no longer be enlisted into the Russian military". Under the arrangement, Kenya will be designated a non-source country for Russian military recruitment, according to Citizen Digital and Kenyans.co.ke.

Compensation and safe return

Kenya's newly posted Defence Attaché in Moscow will work with Russia's Ministry of Defence to process the return of Kenyans who travelled to Russia and ended up in the military. The attaché will also handle compensation claims and arrangements for their safe return home. No figures, eligibility rules or timelines for the compensation have been given.

The issue has been a sore point for families across the country. Many recruits say they were lured with promises of civilian jobs in security or logistics, only to be made to sign military contracts on arrival and sent to the front line in Ukraine.

How many Kenyans are involved

  • A Journalists for Justice investigation published this month counted at least 841 Kenyans recruited between October 2022 and June 2026, and at least 76 killed
  • The same probe found Kenya had the highest number of identified recruits among 40 African countries
  • The National Intelligence Service has told Parliament that more than 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited

Scholarships, jobs and a joint commission

The two leaders also agreed to raise Russian government scholarships for Kenyan students from 70 to 300, covering health, artificial intelligence, technology, aviation and cybersecurity. The governments will negotiate a bilateral labour agreement to allow Kenyans to live and work legally in Russia.

A joint commission will be set up to drive cooperation, with Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi leading Kenya's side. Putin also committed to supporting the expansion of the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kenyans.co.ke reported.

Ruto used the meeting to pitch Kenya's economic transformation agenda to Russian investors and invited Putin to visit Kenya. It was not immediately clear whether the Russian leader accepted.

The deal will be closely watched at home, where opposition leaders and rights groups have criticised the government for being slow to protect Kenyans trafficked into the war. The real test will be whether Kenyans still serving in Russian units are released and brought home, and whether families of those killed receive any compensation.

Photos: Kenyans.co.ke; Citizen Digital. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.