Why State must engage Russian envoy urgently
Opinion
By
Thomas Musau
| Feb 08, 2026
The Kenyan government must urgently engage the Russian Ambassador following disturbing and credible reports that Kenyans have been subjected to forced labour and coerced military involvement in Russia.
What is emerging from affected families, civil society groups, and diaspora networks is not a case of voluntary labour migration or lawful recruitment, but a breach of international law and fundamental human rights.
International law is clear and unequivocal. Forced labour is prohibited under the Forced Labour Convention of 1930 (ILO Convention No. 29), to which Russia is a signatory. The Convention defines forced labour as work or service exacted under threat, coercion, deception, or penalty, and for which a person has not freely and voluntarily consented. Any recruitment that relies on misinformation, false promises, or concealment of the true nature of the work meets this definition.
Further, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 4) prohibits slavery and servitude in all forms, while the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 8) reinforces the prohibition of forced or compulsory labour. These instruments impose binding obligations on states not only to refrain from such practices, but also to prevent, investigate, and suppress them.
The Kenyan families speaking out have been consistent in one crucial point: their children did not travel to Russia to become soldiers. They did not voluntarily enlist in military service, nor did they knowingly consent to participation in armed conflict. Some were reportedly recruited under the promise of civilian employment opportunities, only to find themselves trapped in circumstances fundamentally different from what they had agreed to. If these accounts are accurate—and there is growing evidence to suggest they are—then this is a textbook case of forced labour through deception.
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This situation demands immediate diplomatic engagement. The Kenyan government has a constitutional and moral duty to protect its citizens, regardless of where they reside. The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs must formally raise this issue with the Russian Ambassador and seek urgent clarification on the recruitment, deployment, and current status of Kenyans in Russia. Diplomatic silence in the face of such allegations risks being interpreted as indifference or complicity. Civil society must also act decisively. Human rights organisations, labour rights advocates and diaspora bodies should systematically document testimonies from affected families, preserve evidence, and escalate the matter to international mechanisms, including the International Labour Organisation.
Kenya has previously taken firm positions to protect its migrant workers, particularly in the Middle East, by demanding bilateral labour agreements and improved safeguards. The same resolve is required here. Failure to act sets a dangerous precedent—one that suggests Kenyan lives abroad are expendable and that international conventions can be ignored when politically inconvenient.
This is not an anti-Russia position. It is a pro-human rights position. Respect for international law is the foundation of diplomatic relations and global order. Addressing these allegations through formal diplomatic channels protects not only Kenyan citizens but also the integrity of international commitments that Russia itself has undertaken.
-The writer is Wiper Patriotic Front Secretary General in charge of Diaspora Affairs.