Kenyans enlisted to fight for Russia in the war against Ukraine will be granted amnesty on their return home, the East African nation's foreign minister has said. The announcement follows Musalia Mudavadi's recent visit to Moscow to tackle the issue and where it was agreed that no more Kenyans would be recruited.
Under Kenya's laws, it is illegal for the country's citizens to be conscripted into foreign armies - an offense that can carry up to a 10-year prison sentence. The foreign ministry estimates that 252 Kenyans have been illegally conscripted to fight on the front line - a trend that began about six months ago and has also involved recruits from other African countries. Some Kenyans have said they were lured to fight for Russia with promises of well-paid civilian jobs, only to find themselves forced into fighting in Ukraine.
So far, 44 Kenyans have been safely repatriated back home, while 11 have been reported missing in action or killed, and 38 are currently hospitalized in various Russian hospitals. Mudavadi also negotiated a deal that allowed Kenyans currently unwilling to continue fighting to disengage and return home. The plan includes preventing further enlistment of Kenyans in the Russian war effort.
Under Kenya's laws, it is illegal for the country's citizens to be conscripted into foreign armies - an offense that can carry up to a 10-year prison sentence. The foreign ministry estimates that 252 Kenyans have been illegally conscripted to fight on the front line - a trend that began about six months ago and has also involved recruits from other African countries. Some Kenyans have said they were lured to fight for Russia with promises of well-paid civilian jobs, only to find themselves forced into fighting in Ukraine.
So far, 44 Kenyans have been safely repatriated back home, while 11 have been reported missing in action or killed, and 38 are currently hospitalized in various Russian hospitals. Mudavadi also negotiated a deal that allowed Kenyans currently unwilling to continue fighting to disengage and return home. The plan includes preventing further enlistment of Kenyans in the Russian war effort.
