Nairobi court accuses Omwambe of recruitment

A court in Nairobi has charged Festus Arase Omwambe, a recruitment agency head, with illegally sending at least 25 Kenyans to Russia to fight on Russia's side. According to Reuters, the Kenyan prosecution alleges that Omwambe used fraudulent methods to 'exploit' individuals and called for an end to such activities. The accused denied the charges. Earlier, Kenyan officials reported that over a thousand citizens are serving in the Russian army in Ukraine, and according to parliamentary leader Kimani Ichung’wa, Kenyans are traveling via tourist visas from Istanbul and Abu Dhabi. The Kremlin rejected the allegations, stating they had no information about the case.

Context

Last year, Kenyan media reported thousands of citizens participating in the conflict.