Kenyan Families Want Recruits Brought Home on Russia-Africa Summit Agenda, KTN Reports

Families of Kenyans recruited into Russia's army want the safe return of their relatives to be at the top of the agenda at the third Russia-Africa Summit, which opens in Moscow on Wednesday, October 28, according to a report by Kenya's KTN broadcaster. KTN senior security reporter Francis Ontomo said at least 30 African delegations have confirmed their participation, with at least 17 African heads of state expected in person. Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi is already in Moscow, and reports indicate that President William Ruto could also attend. The report is available on YouTube: 

KTN also showed fragments of a video appeal by African prisoners of war in Ukraine, released by Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project, in which men from countries including Kenya and Zimbabwe ask for their situation to be raised at the summit and for African governments to take up their cases.

354 Documented, Over 1,000 by Independent Reports

KTN said Kenyan authorities have documented 354 Kenyans linked to the front lines, while independent intelligence reports put the figure at more than 1,000. Many Kenyans left home looking for jobs and better opportunities and ended up fighting a war they know little about, the report said, lured by recruitment agents who promised lucrative employment.

See also: Kenyan government tells Senate it has recorded 354 citizens in Russia's war - petitioners say the list Is 841

A Son Reported Dead, Then Seen as a Prisoner

KTN also told the story of William Mahara. In November 2025, his family was told that he had been killed on the front lines while fighting for Russian forces. They mourned for weeks, KTN said, until a video resurfaced showing him in Ukrainian captivity as a prisoner of war. Another prisoner of war captured by Ukrainian forces who gave his testimony in the video was Evans Kibet.

A Safe Way Out

Kenyans and other foreign nationals lured into Russia's armed forces have an option to safely escape the battlefield with Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. See our FAQ for recommendations for victims of Russian military recruitment and their families.