Kenya says 84 nationals are dead or missing in Russia-Ukraine war
Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi told Kenyan lawmakers that 354 nationals had been documented as involved in the conflict, with 84 killed or missing and 62 repatriated. He said Russia had placed Kenya on a recruitment stop list after his March 2026 visit, while Nairobi is working with Moscow and Kyiv on citizens’ cases.
Bottom line — Kenya has documented 354 nationals in the conflict; five are held as prisoners of war in Ukraine.
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Mudavadi said 77 Kenyans were believed to be on the front lines, 38 in camps and 52 in unknown or unclassified locations.
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He reported that 34 Kenyans had been hospitalised and that one had been detained; another had completed a military contract.
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Kenya says its embassy in Moscow confirmed no additional nationals were enlisted after the stop list took effect.
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Russian authorities are considering requests to end military contracts individually, with decisions left to unit commanders, Mudavadi said.
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Mudavadi said Russia’s Defence Ministry declined to pay for returning deceased Kenyans’ remains; Nairobi is negotiating burial, cremation or repatriation arrangements.
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Kenya is working with Ukrainian authorities through its embassy in Vienna on cases involving detained nationals.