Kenyan authorities have dismantled a human trafficking network accused of recruiting citizens for Russia’s war on Ukraine under the guise of overseas employment.
On September 24, detectives from Kenya’s Transnational Organized Crime Unit raided Great Wall Apartments near Nairobi and found 21 Kenyan men preparing to travel to Russia. The men said they were promised monthly salaries exceeding $1,900 for jobs abroad.
Investigators arrested Edward Kamau Gituku, believed to be coordinating the travel through Global Face Human Resource Ltd, which had partnered with Ecopillars Manpower Ltd to send workers to Russia. Victims reported paying between $13,000 and $18,000 for visas and travel, with some already paying deposits of up to $774.
During follow-up operations, police detained Mikhail Lyapin, reportedly linked to the Russian Embassy in Nairobi, though the embassy denied any association. Kenyan authorities said recruits were being duped into joining the Russian military, with several reportedly injured, traumatized, or killed.
One survivor, Evans Kibet, a Kenyan athlete, said he was tricked into signing documents in Russian and forced into combat. He escaped during a mission in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and later surrendered to Ukrainian forces.
Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei confirmed that officials are investigating the matter and verifying claims that several Kenyans may be held as prisoners of war in Ukraine.
