Syndicate for sending Kenyans to war in Ukraine exposed
28 September 2025 12:03
A court in Kenya has ordered the detention for ten days of Edward Kamau Gituku, who is suspected of involvement in a criminal syndicate that smuggled Kenyans to Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine. This was reported by the British television company BBC on Saturday, September 27. The information about the police operation was confirmed by the local edition of KahawaTungu, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Gituku was detained on September 25 at the Greatwall Gardens residence in Ati River. During the raid, law enforcement officers freed 22 Kenyans who were victims of human trafficking. The detainee will be held at Muthaiga police station in the suburbs of Nairobi, and the Office of the Attorney General has filed a request to extend his detention.
Githuku was allegedly a tenant in several of the houses where the victims were housed. A number of passports and a Samsung Galaxy phone were seized from the suspect. According to one of the police sergeants, some of the Kenyans had been previously taken to Moscow, and one of the victims is currently in a hospital in Nairobi after returning from Russia for emergency surgery.
Police are looking for other suspects
Police are searching for other suspects. In addition, according to KahawaTungu, a Russian citizen and an employee of the Russian Embassy in Nairobi were detained in connection with the illegal recruitment of Kenyans to fight on the side of Russia. On Friday, September 26, the Russian was deported. The diplomatic mission has not yet commented on the information.
A syndicate of human traffickers offered Kenyans jobs in Moscow and then sent them to fight on the side of Russia in Ukraine. According to several victims, they signed contracts with a foreign employment agency, agreeing to pay up to $18,000 for visas, travel, accommodation, and other logistical costs.
