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(via REUTERS)> Reuters reported that Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi announced the move on March 16 at a joint press conference in Moscow following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Mudavadi said the two governments had agreed to prevent Kenyan citizens from enlisting in the Russian military or being sent to combat zones through the Russian Defense Ministry. He added that Nairobi will act to block informal channels that funnel Kenyan youth into battle.
The agreement comes amid a growing outcry in Kenya over so-called "employment scams," where recruiters allegedly lured young people to Russia with promises of high-paying civilian jobs and then coerced them into military contracts. Kenyan authorities estimate more than 1,000 nationals are currently working in roles linked to the Russian military, and say many have been placed at the front lines against their will.
The two governments agreed to streamline consular channels, assess the scope of the problem and implement follow-up measures to dismantle illegal recruitment networks.
Lavrov said Russia has respected voluntary contracts of foreign fighters but that Moscow is listening to Nairobi's concerns, framing the agreement as a response to those worries.
The Kenyan government said it will continue cracking down on agencies involved in human trafficking and illegal recruitment and will seek cooperation from Russia in those efforts. Nairobi also expressed a desire to shift bilateral ties away from controversy over wartime support and toward practical economic cooperation in areas such as energy, agriculture and fertilizer supply.
