DCI arrests suspect in Russia human trafficking ring

Festus Omwamba (left) was arrested by the DCI while trying to flee the country through Moyale. [Courtesy, DCI]

A man believed to be at the centre of recruiting Kenyans for conscription in the Russian army was arrested by police on Wednesday in Moyale, Marsabit County.

Festus Arasa Omwamba was arrested by detectives from the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

“Festus is believed to be a key player in a more extensive human trafficking syndicate that exploits vulnerable individuals by promising them legitimate employment opportunities in European countries,” said DCI on X.

“However, upon arrival, these unsuspecting victims find themselves trapped in illegal and perilous jobs, stripping them of their dignity and safety.”

DCI and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) named Omwamba as the key cog in the movement of unsuspecting Kenyans to join the Russian army.

A report that was tabled at the National Assembly by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa showed that Omwamba’s recruitment agency, Global Face Human Resource Limited, was at the center of it all.

In the report, the two security agencies alleged that Omwamba was working closely with two Kenyans, Edward Kamau Gituku and Joel Muchiri Ngugi, alias Caleb, together with a Russian national, Mikhail Lyapin, who it was alleged worked at their Embassy in Kenya.

The Embassy later came out to deny that Lyapin was their employee.

The report showed that Global Face was not registered with the National Employment Agency (NEA), while adding that so far, the number of Kenyans believed to have travelled to  Russia stands at 1,000, where they expected to get a signing bonus of between Sh910,000 and Sh1.2 million, and Omwamba allegedly facilitated them to open bank accounts in the country.

The report showed that the unsuspecting recruits believed that they were going for other jobs, only to be trained and taken through a one-week training on weapon handling before being deployed to the battlefield.

Ichung’wa told Parliament that security agencies had found that the movement was being coordinated by rogue DCI officers, immigration officials, and some airport officials at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Omwamba allegedly moved the victims via Turkey or Unitred Arab Emirates where they would then board a Russia bound place.

After scrutiny the report shows that Kenyans started moving to Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo where they would then travel to Russia.

Global Face was also said to be recruiting Kenyans already working in Qatar, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Jordan, where they would move them to Russia with promises of better pay if they left their current jobs.

Gituku was arrested on September 24, 2025, at the Great Wall Apartments, where some 22 Kenyans believed to have been on their way to Russia were rescued.

Police at the time claimed that the 22 men had paid between Sh50,000 and Sh250,000, which was to cover their travel costs.

TOCU’s Sergeant Brawmel Saima said that they recovered several passports, a mobile phone, and other items.

Saima said that the suspects believed that they had signed lucrative contracts in Russia, but that was not the case; they were being trafficked.

Gituku was arraigned at the Kahawa Law Courts, and his case is currently ongoing.

On September 25, Lyapin was arrested and quietly deported to Russia without going through the justice system.

The recruiters targeted former military and police as well as men between the ages of 25 and 50 for the Russian deadly mission.

It is not clear whether police are investigating Ngugi for his role in the saga. 

Omwamba had been granted anticipatory bail by the Milimani High Court, and his case was to be mentioned on March 29, 2025.

Two health facilities, Universal Trends Medical and Diagnostic Centre and Inspocare Health Limited, that were named in the report as being used to medically clear the recruits, got orders blocking DCI from probing their accounts.