Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has raised concerns over rising cases of Kenyans being lured into unsafe or illegal jobs abroad, including reports involving recruitment to countries such as Russia.
Speaking during the NYOTA Capital disbursement led by President William Ruto in Malindi, Kilifi County, on Thursday, February 5, CS Mutua warned job seekers to verify all overseas opportunities through the government’s official labour migration channels to avoid falling victim to rogue agents and trafficking networks.
Over the past months, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recorded an increase in complaints from Kenyans who travelled abroad under questionable arrangements, including some who used the wrong visa categories or were misled about the nature of the work awaiting them.
“If that agency or the job opportunity is not on the website, know that you are being duped. If you cannot do it through the website just dial 08002222223 for free you will communicate with an agent who will ask you questions, they will confirm if the agents are rogue,” Mutua said.
Mutua cautioned that some recruiters are fraudulently sending Kenyans abroad on visitor or tourist visas instead of proper work permits, leaving them vulnerable upon arrival in foreign countries.
CS Mutua calls out rogue agents
The CS further revealed worrying cases involving young Kenyans being recruited into foreign conflicts or disappearing after travelling overseas under unclear circumstances.
“We have Kenyans who have been taken to foreign countries using visitors’ visas. People here from Malindi who are abroad went on employment visas. Those giving out tourist and visitors visas are rogue agents,” he said.
“We have young people being taken to foreign countries to fight for foreign countries. Others are going and go missing there.”
Mutua’s remarks come amid mounting concern over Kenyans being recruited into Russia’s war against Ukraine.
In November 2025, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said about 200 Kenyans were known to be fighting for Russia and warned that recruitment networks remained active in both Kenya and Russia.
Among those recruited were reportedly former members of Kenya’s security forces. Some rescued Kenyans said they were forced to assemble drones and handle chemicals without proper training or protective gear.
President Ruto has since asked the Ukrainian government to facilitate the release of Kenyans detained in the conflict zone.
Ukrainian authorities estimate that about 1,400 citizens from across Africa are fighting alongside Russian forces, many recruited through deception.
Kenya’s embassy in Moscow has also recorded injuries among some recruits, who were allegedly promised up to $18,000 to cover visas, travel, and accommodation.
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Mudavadi warned that some Kenyans abroad are being drawn into forced criminal activities such as drug trafficking and forced labour.
“These crimes present a serious threat not only to the national security of Kenya but to global security as well,” he said.
In September, Kenyan authorities rescued more than 20 nationals preparing to join the war near Nairobi, while a suspected recruitment coordinator was arrested and is facing prosecution.
Family seeks answers after Kenyan killed in Russia-Ukraine war
Mutua’s remarks also comes following a BBC documentary highlighting the death of a Kenyan man recruited into the conflict.
The deceased was identified by Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence as 28-year-old Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, a Kenyan citizen whose body was allegedly discovered at one of the positions previously held by Russian forces in the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian authorities in a statement on February 1, said Mogesa was killed during what they described as a “meat assault” — a term used to refer to high-casualty frontal attacks involving poorly trained soldiers.
According to Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (DIU), Mogesa had been residing and working in Qatar before travelling to Russia, where he eventually entered into a contract with the Russian military.
The agency reported that he received only limited military preparation before being sent to active combat in eastern Ukraine, where he was attached to a Russian assault formation operating in the Donetsk region.
“Mogesa left a job in Qatar, received minimal military training, and was subsequently sent to the combat zone, where he was killed during an assault operation,” the Ukrainian intelligence report said.
Ukrainian officials indicated that his remains were later recovered by their forces following the deadly clash.
Authorities also stated that when his body was retrieved, Mogesa was found carrying passports belonging to two other Kenyan nationals.
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Intelligence sources believe the documents may belong to fellow Kenyan recruits who were also deployed to the front, heightening fears that more Kenyans could be involved in the conflict under similar conditions.
Mogesa’s family is seeking help to repatriate their kin’s body. His cousin Vincent Okemwa while speaking to BBC Newsday said the family struggled to believe the news when they first heard it.
“He had good plans for the family and now everything has been shattered,” Okemwa said, adding that the family had been left in “total darkness” without communication from authorities.
Mogesa’s father had reportedly sold land to finance his son’s travel abroad, hoping for a better future for the family. His mother, who is diabetic and depended on him for medical support, has appealed to the government for help.
Kenya to pursue diplomatic engagement
CS Mudavadi has since announced plans for an official visit to Russia as Kenya intensifies diplomatic efforts to protect citizens caught up in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary on Sunday, February 1, 2026, said the government is seeking direct engagement with Moscow to address the circumstances under which Kenyans are being drawn into the conflict and prevent further exposure to danger.
“I will soon be making an official visit to Russia so that we can engage their government and discuss these issues, so that Kenyans do not fall into traps,” Mudavadi said during an interview with Western Kenya radio stations.
He noted that some citizens may have found themselves in precarious situations due to misinformation, irregular recruitment, or false promises of employment.
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