Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi has announced that citizens illegally conscripted to fight for Russia in Ukraine will be granted amnesty upon their return, following a diplomatic mission to Moscow to halt further recruitment.
The Kenyan government has declared an amnesty for citizens who were illegally enlisted to fight for Russia in the war against Ukraine, waiving the standard 10-year prison sentence typically mandated by the nation’s penal code for unauthorized foreign military service.
Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi confirmed the move following a high-level visit to Moscow, where he negotiated a “stop list” to prevent further recruitment and secured a deal allowing those currently on the front lines who are “unwilling to continue in the assignment disengaged and freed to travel back home.” The foreign ministry estimates that 252 Kenyans have been conscripted over the last six months many allegedly lured by promises of civilian jobs only to find themselves forced into combat with Mudavadi noting that while 44 have been repatriated, “11 have been reported missing in action/killed in action, 38 are currently hospitalised in various Russian hospitals under restricted access, leaving 160 Kenyans officers still actively involved.”