Woman charged with trafficking 11 Kenyans to Russia
National
By
Fred Kagonye
| Nov 07, 2025
A second case at the Kahawa Law Courts, in which a Kenyan is charged with trafficking fellow countrymen to Russia, has exposed how deep the problem may run.
Ednah Kendi was arraigned in court on October 3, 2025, where she was charged with trafficking 11 Kenyans to the European country.
According to Corporal Batula Said of the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) of the DCI said that they received three men on September 28 who had just retuned into the country from Russia.
“The victims cited to had been taken there by the respondent (Kendi),” he said in his affidavit.
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Together with other detectives they arrested Kendi as she attended a private matter at the Kasarani Police Station on September 30.
They accompanied her to an apartment in Safari Park gardens where they found some items including documents of people they believe had already left the country for Russia.
“The respondent also led the officers to her office based at Ruppran Plaza within Nairobi CBD where they also recovered some exhibits,” said the officer.
According to Corporal Said, the victims had been duped that they were going for work elsewhere only to end up in the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war.
“The victims cited to had been deceived to be securing security jobs in Asia and ended up rescuing themselves from a military camp just before being deployed to a battle field in Ukraine.”
The officer said that testimony from the three victims was that Kendi had received money from them in order to facilitate their recruitment for the jobs.
“The victims cited to have left over 20 other victims who were facilitated by the respondent.”
Kendi was charged just a day after another Kenyan Edward Kamau was arraigned at the same court for the alleged trafficking of Kenyans to Russia.
Kamau was arrested at the Great Wall apartments by TOCU detectives who rescued 22 men who were believed to be on their way to Russia.
The investigating officer Sergeant Bramwel Saima in his affidavit said that Gituku had rented several houses in the estate where the victims were found.
“The officers gained entry into several houses at Great Wall Gardens in Athi river which were two and three bedroomed houses and managed to rescue twenty-two Kenyan nationals suspected to be victims of human trafficking,” he said in his affidavit.
During the raid police recovered several passports belonging to the rescued victims, a mobile phone among other items.
Saima said that police believe that Gituku was not working alone, he had several other suspects who remain at large.
“That, the respondent is believed to be working with other suspects who are still at large and are trafficking victims to Moscow Russia,” he said.
“One of the victims who had been trafficked to Russia is currently hospitalized in Kenya and he's set to undergo a surgery medical procedure after returning from Russia.”
After Gituku’s arrest police said that Kenyans are being tricked that they will get jobs in other countries as well as Russia but end up getting enlisted in the Russian army.
Police said that the victims had signed lucrative contracts with an unnamed company that bound them to pay Sh1.6 to 2.3 million for visa, travel, accommodation and logistics.
“Those who fail to pay within 35 days are charged a 1 per cent daily penalty. Some of the victims indicated that they had already paid deposits ranging from Sh50,000 to Sh100,000 upon being promised a salary of two hundred thousand Kenya Shillings.”