Kenyan man accused of tricking and trafficking hundreds of Kenyans to fight for Russia in Ukraine

Nairobi — A key figure in a network that sent more than 1,000 Kenyans to fight for the Russian military was charged Thursday with human trafficking, the state prosecutor said.

Festus Omwamba, 33, founder of recruitment agency Global Face Human Resources, allegedly used to funnel Kenyans to Russia, appeared in court after his arrest in Moyale, a town bordering Ethiopia.

In a social media post, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said Omwamba was accused of having “recruited twenty-two Kenyan youths in Russia to exploit them through deception.”

According to the prosecutor, 22 “victims of human trafficking were rescued” in a police operation last September, while three others who were on the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine War He returned home with injuries.

More than 1,000 Kenyans have joined the Russian military in recent months, Kenyan MP Kimani Ichung’wah told parliament last week, citing a joint report by the country’s intelligence services and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

In a statement shared on social media on Wednesday, the DCI said Omwamba was “believed to be a key player” in an “extensive human trafficking syndicate that exploits vulnerable individuals by promising them legitimate employment opportunities in European countries. However, upon arrival, these unsuspecting victims find themselves trapped in illegal and dangerous jobs, stripping them of their dignity and safety.”

Several media outlets, including News, have reported on the forced recruitment of Kenyans. Many had no military experience and were promised lucrative civilian jobs in Russia, only to be forced to sign army contracts and sent to the front lines in Ukraine with limited training, where many have died.

Omwamba pleaded not guilty to the charges, while his lawyer, Bonaventure Otieno, dismissed the case as based on “speculation” and “rumors.”

“There is no case,” Otieno said.

News recently spoke to four Kenyans, three of them injured, who managed to return home. One said he thought he was going to look for a job as a salesman, two were told they would be security guards, and the fourth was a high-level athlete.

They all said they were recruited through Global Face Human Resources and exposed Omwamba’s role in the scam, along with one of his employees, Edward Gituku, who is currently being prosecuted for human trafficking.

The Russian embassy in Kenya denied the allegations last week, calling them a “dangerous and misleading propaganda campaign.”