Kenyan Police Rescue 22 from Trafficking Ring Linked to Ukraine War

Oleksandr Ratushniak / UNDP Ukraine / Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Irpin, Kyiv Oblast in Ukraine on April 1, 2022 (file photo).

29 September 2025

allAfrica.com

Kenyan police have   rescued   22 people from a suspected human trafficking ring that lured victims with fake job offers in Russia but intended to send them to fight in Ukraine. It follows an intelligence-led raid on a residential apartment on the outskirts of the capital, Nairobi, where officers seized recruitment materials, travel documents, and job offer letters.

One suspect accused of coordinating the travel in September and October was arrested and remanded for 10 days to allow investigations.

Authorities said the syndicate had extorted large sums from desperate job seekers, with victims signing contracts requiring payments of up to $18,000, some already having paid deposits of $1,500.

Officials noted growing concerns about Kenyans being trafficked abroad under false promises, citing a young athlete who was recently captured in Ukraine after being duped into joining the Russian army.

Police warned that many recruits return home injured, traumatised, or not at all, with two survivors recently back in Kenya, one currently in hospital.

The government is also probing reports of Kenyans held as prisoners of war in Ukraine, alongside nationals from other countries, though Ukrainian officials said most African states show little interest in repatriating such citizens.