Kenyan fighting for Russia killed in Ukraine amid fake job scam row

A man who left the country less than 40 days ago, following a job promise in Russia, has become the first known fatality on the frontlines of Russia's war against Ukraine.

The man, recruited in Nairobi in October, had reportedly been coerced into joining Russian forces and was killed on Thursday morning as Ukrainian troops engaged Russian frontline forces in Donetsk-Lyman, a city within the Donbass region still under Ukrainian control.

Donetsk-Lyman, strategically vital and sometimes called Krasny, is located in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It has been a focal point in the ongoing conflict, having been seized by Russian forces in the early days of the war and subsequently liberated by Ukrainian troops in October 2022. The city serves as a major transportation hub, and its control is crucial for military logistics and offensives in the region.

Details shared by our sources in Kyiv's security circles, which include his passport and boarding passes reveal that Martin Macharia Mburu left Nairobi onboard AiArabia on October 21 at 1350 hours en route to Sharjah United Arab Emirates for a connecting flight to Moscow. That was six days before The Standard exposed the ongoing misfortune befalling Kenyans getting duped by unscrupulous agencies operating in Nairobi promising them jobs in Russia.

The jobs promised range from positions on construction sites, in the hospitality sector, and in logistics-industries that often recruit foreign workers from the Global South. The Standard, has however, established that these promises are part of a human trafficking network aimed at luring thousands of unsuspecting job seekers into serving in the Russian army.

Macharia's passport shows he was a resident of Ruaka, Kiambu. He could have been recruited by an agency operating in Nairobi and dispatched to Russia while authorities were still investigating the trafficking network, days after the Athi River arrests on September 25. More than 22 Kenyans were rescued from fake job offers in Russia, and the main suspect, Edward Kamau Gituku, now faces human trafficking charges at Kahawa Law Courts.

Fake job offers

Macharia travelled to Russia with little knowledge of what awaited him, believing he would be employed as a driver. Upon arrival, he was reportedly coerced into military service, receiving only three days of weapons training, Kyiv security sources told The Standard.

He was killed alongside other recruits from countries in the Global South, including a Nigerian named Stephen Udoka, whose passport indicates that he was 37 years old.

Ten days ago, Kirinyaga Central MP Joseph Gitari raised the matter in the National Assembly asking the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign relations to investigate the matter of Kenyans falling victim to a systematic global operation luring job seekers into serving in the Russian army without their consent.

"I rise regarding the reported coercion of two Kenyan citizens into the military service in Russia," Gitari told the House. "Pursuant to the provision of Standing Order No 442C, I'd like to request for a statement from the Chairperson of the departmental Committee on Defense, intelligence and Foreign Relations regarding reported enlisting by coercion of two Kenya citizens in military service in the Russian Federation. Hon Speaker, on 22 of October 2025 Mr Martin Macharia of passport No; CK 160075 and Mr Peter Kimemia of Passport No CK 1663005 travelled to Russia in pursuit for employment opportunities as drivers," Gitari told the House.

He added that upon arrival, the two were coerced into signing a contract to serve in the Russian Military despite having no relevant training or experience.

"The two are said to have undergone a brief three-day training before being deployed to the frontline of the ongoing Ukraine Russia conflict. This is a matter of grave concern about the security and welfare of Kenyan citizens seeking opportunities abroad as well as the effectiveness of our diplomatic interventions in such situations," he said.

Gitari sought a report on the status of investigations into the forced enlistment of Macharia and Kimemia, as well as immediate action by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage the Russian government in returning them home.

Macharia is reported to have been killed while the MP was still awaiting responses from the Defence Committee, chaired by Bureti MP Nelson Koech, and a statement from the Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi.

Last month, after The Standard broke the story, Mudavadi promised that the Kenyan mission in Moscow was trying to establish an accurate number of Kenyans detained in various military bases/camps in Russia and had reached out for help from the embassy for assistance in repatriation.

He stated that the Kenyan and Russian governments had reached an agreement that those held without their consent should be released to Kenya's mission in Moscow with immediate effect.

"The embassy will also continue to contact others where possible and facilitate the return of those who escape the camps and wish to return home," he added.

On 13 November, Mudavadi told the BBC that at least 200 Kenyans were fighting for Russia against Ukraine of their own free will, including former Kenyan military personnel. He appeared to have little to say about innocent Kenyans being deceived to serve on the war front without their consent.