Kenyans' recruitment into Russian military to centre Mudavadi's trip to Moscow

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. [File, Standard]

Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi has departed for Moscow, Russia, for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Kenya and Russia.

During the visit, Mudavadi is expected to hold high-level meetings with senior Russian government officials, including Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

A key agenda of the visit will be the welfare and safety of Kenyans living, studying and working in Russia. The Kenyan government is seeking to establish a clear and transparent framework to safeguard its citizens in the country.

Mudavadi is also expected to raise concerns about reports of Kenyans who may have been voluntarily or involuntarily recruited into the Russian military amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War.

Kenyan authorities say they will intensify diplomatic engagement with Russian officials to prevent cases of misleading recruitment and false employment promises targeting Kenyans.

The talks are also expected to focus on deepening cooperation in key sectors such as education, labour mobility, health, infrastructure, and energy.

The Kenyan government says the trip aims to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties and explore new opportunities for trade and investment between the two countries.

Kenya has acknowledged Russia’s support for scholarships for Kenyan students and for boosting agricultural productivity through fertilizer supplies.

Mudavadi said there is significant potential for expanding Kenyan exports to the Russian market, particularly coffee, tea and floriculture products.

“There exists great potential for the export of Kenyan coffee, tea and floriculture to the Russian market, especially at a time of turbulence in the Middle East and beyond,” he said.

Apart from the meeting with Lavrov, Mudavadi is also scheduled to hold discussions with Russian ministers responsible for education and labour to explore partnerships that could benefit Kenyan students and workers.

As part of his itinerary, the Prime Cabinet Secretary will deliver a public lecture at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), where he is expected to outline Kenya’s foreign policy priorities and the country’s approach to international cooperation.

The talks will come in the backdrop of a looming case in court where  Busia Senator Okiya Omutata has challenged the government to come clean on the disturbing issue of Kenyans dying for Russia on the war frontlines in Ukraine, demanding to know whether the Kazi Majuu programme was a plot to recruit Kenyans into Russia's war.

The Senator also wondered why the government has not given the matter the priority that it deserves, threatening to sue the State through a class suit on behalf of the victims.

The government will further push for measures to facilitate the safe repatriation of affected Kenyan nationals caught up in the conflict.

Officials say the engagements form part of a broader government effort to protect Kenyans living abroad by ensuring they work in safe environments and maintain dignified lives away from home.