Boniface Mwangi pressures govt to act as more Kenyans risk dying in Russia-Ukraine war
By Faith Lagat, February 15, 2026Activist Boniface Mwangi has revealed that three Kenyans are currently serving in the Russian military and face imminent deployment to the Ukraine frontline, raising concerns over their safety. Mwangi said the Kenyan embassy in Moscow has refused to assist the men.
In a post on X on Sunday, February 15, 2026, Mwangi shared the names of the recruits at their request: Nicholas Kaino Kiprotich, Samuel Maina Kariuki, and Kelvin Lemashon. The trio are stationed in Taunishevka, western Russia, awaiting deployment.
Mwangi said none of their colleagues previously sent to the front have returned alive.
He attached a video showing a group of Kenyan recruits in high spirits inside Russian barracks before deployment, noting that two of those featured, David and Reuben, have since been killed in action.
“I have been in touch with some Kenyans who are in the Russian military. Our embassy in Moscow has refused to help them, and today they asked me to release their names: 1. Nicholas Kaino Kiprotich 2. Samuel Maina Kariuki 3. Kelvin Lemashon They are in Taunishevka, Western Russia, waiting to be deployed,” Boniface Mwangi’s statement read in part.
“None of their friends who have been sent to the frontline has come back alive. The video below is from a group of Kenyans before they were deployed; two of them, David and Reuben, are dead.”
Mwangi tagged Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi, the Foreign Office, and Principal Secretary Abraham Korir Singoei, calling for urgent intervention.
Systematic recruitment of Africans into Russian forces
The alarming disclosure comes amid growing evidence of a structured campaign by Moscow to recruit African nationals into its armed forces.
According to INPACT, a Swiss-based investigative organisation, Russia intensified recruitment in 2023 to address personnel shortages caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The report details how Africans are targeted through fraudulent job offers, fake educational programmes, and irregular migration channels. Recruits are often lured under the guise of civilian employment in Russia or Europe, only to be coerced into military contracts on arrival.
INPACT identified 1,417 African nationals who signed formal contracts since 2023, with numbers rising from 177 in 2023 to 647 in 2025. Recruitment intermediaries include travel agencies, pro-Russian networks, and former recruits incentivised to bring others. In some instances, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has been implicated.
Kenya scrambles to protect citizens
Kenya is among the most affected countries, with about 200 citizens recruited unofficially. At least 10 Kenyans have died, while families struggle to recover bodies from Ukraine.
Mudavadi has condemned the practice as “unacceptable and clandestine,” pledging diplomatic efforts with Moscow.
Nairobi has shut over 600 suspected recruitment agencies and seeks a bilateral agreement explicitly banning conscription of Kenyans. Twenty-seven repatriated fighters are receiving psychological support and de-radicalisation programs.
Families remain anxious as the Russian embassy provides little assistance. Mudavadi acknowledged the challenges of repatriating bodies, citing ongoing coordination with Ukrainian authorities.