'Not guilty', suspect in Russia war recruitment says

Festus Arasa Omwamba when he was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage at the Kibra Law Courts/SCREENGRAB

The man accused of recruiting Kenyan youths to fight for Russia has been charged at the Kibra Law Courts.

Festus Arasa Omwamba, the 33-year-old the director of Global Face Limited is alleged to have recruited 22 Kenyan youths to Russia for exploitation by means of deception.

The court heard that on diverse dates between December 1, 2024 and September 24, 2025 at Great Wall Gardens in the Athi River area, Mavoko Sub County within Machakos, with another man trafficked by recruiting 22 Kenyans to Russia for the purpose of exploitation by means of deception.

He pleaded not guilty to charges before Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage.

Omwamba surrendered himself at the Moyale immigration border point and was arrested on February 2, 2026, booked and escorted by Moyale DCI officers to Isiolo police station, and handed over to Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) officers.

The prosecuting counsel, Kennedy Amwayi, informed the court that the 22 victims of human trafficking were rescued on September 24, 2025 at Athi River.

It is alleged that three others who had already travelled to Russia found themselves at the frontline of the Russia-Ukraine war, and they later came back with injuries.

“Your honour, the accused person is a flight risk, and this case has attracted public interest both locally and internationally; therefore, the public demands accountability following the loss of life in Russia," Amwayi told the court.

The court ordered the accused person to remain in police custody for the hearing of the bond and bail application.

The case follows growing concerns of Kenyan men being duped into travelling abroad for jobs only to find themselves on the frontlines of the Russian army in its war against Ukraine.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) has said that more than 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited “to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war”, with 89 currently on the front line, 39 hospitalised and 28 missing in action.

Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Nairobi has denied allegations of its staff being involved in the recruitment of Kenyans to fight in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The Embassy termed the claims as “dangerous and misleading propaganda campaign,” citing that its staff has never issued Visas to Kenyans who travelled to Russia with the sole purpose of joining the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

However, the mission clarified that Russian law does not prohibit foreign nationals already in Russia from voluntarily enlisting in the Russian Armed Forces, provided that they are legally present in the country and choose to join the conflict.