Kenya: Ruto demands compensation from Moscow for its enlisted nationals, at least 76 killed

Kenya is demanding compensation from Russia for its nationals enlisted in the Russian army, following a meeting between President William Ruto and Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit held in Moscow on October 29, 2026. The information was reported by Africanews on October 30, 2026.

Ruto announced the appointment of a Kenyan defense attaché in Moscow, tasked with working directly with the Russian Ministry of Defense. According to the president, this officer is to help process compensation claims for families and support efforts to bring the concerned Kenyans back to the country. Neither the amounts, nor the criteria, nor the payment schedule have been announced.

Still according to Ruto, Russia has agreed to stop recruiting Kenyans into its armed forces and has classified Kenya as a non-source country for military recruitment. This commitment is intended to prevent further departures while Nairobi pursues compensation and repatriations.

The figures of a mass recruitment

An investigation by the organization Journalists for Justice, published in October 2026, identified at least 76 Kenyans killed while fighting for Russia, and 841 nationals recruited between October 2022 and June 2026. The Kenyan National Intelligence Service, for its part, indicated to Parliament that more than 1,000 Kenyans had been enlisted.

The phenomenon extends far beyond Kenya: the same investigation reports more than 3,000 recruits from 40 countries, and 502 confirmed deaths at the end of June 2026. Citizens from dozens of African states are thus engaged in a war that is not their own.

The mechanism of recruitment is primarily based on lies regarding the contract. According to Journalists for Justice, several Kenyans were promised civilian jobs in security or logistics, before being forced to sign military contracts once they arrived in Russia. Families remain without news of their loved ones today.

What Nairobi has obtained, and what remains to be obtained

The Kremlin discussions also covered transport, employment, and a bilateral labor agreement currently under negotiation. The number of Russian scholarships available to Kenyan students is set to increase from 70 to 300. Ruto invited Putin to visit Kenya: it would be his first trip to Africa since 2018. The Russian response is not known.

The test will come from the facts: a first compensation payment actually made to a Kenyan family, and a recruitment process that truly stops. For now, an African state has raised the question of a major power's responsibility toward its citizens.