Kenya has reached a landmark agreement with Russia to halt the recruitment of its citizens to fight in the ongoing war in Ukraine. The accord was announced by Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi following high-level discussions with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow on March 17, 2026.

The agreement comes after reports that a number of young Kenyans were recruited, often under false pretenses, to serve in the conflict zone. The Kenyan government had previously expressed deep concern over the phenomenon and had been engaging diplomatically with both Russia and Ukraine.

‘We have had a frank and productive discussion with Minister Lavrov on various bilateral matters, including the unacceptable recruitment of Kenyan nationals to serve in a conflict that is not ours,’ Mudavadi said in a statement.