Russia-Ukraine war: Kenya deplores citizens used as 'cannon fodder'
Kenya Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi has said he would travel to Moscow for talks aimed at "conclusively resolving the matter and identifying sustainable solutions".
Kenya on Tuesday condemned as "unacceptable" recruiters luring Kenyans to Russia with promises of lucrative jobs, only to send them to Ukraine's front lines as "cannon fodder."
In recent weeks, mounting reports indicate that Kenyans deceived into travelling for high-paying work in Russia are dying on the battlefield, with others sustaining serious wounds.
"It's unacceptable for them to be participants in this conflict," junior foreign minister Korir Sing’Oei told AFP.
"These individuals are used as cannon fodder on the war front," Sing’Oei added.
"No Kenyan would voluntarily enter into that kind of engagement."
Moscow talks
Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi announced he would travel to Moscow for talks aimed at "conclusively resolving the matter and identifying sustainable solutions".
"We have seen loss of lives, and I am planning to make a visit to Moscow so that we can emphasise that this is something that needs to be arrested," Mudavadi said in a statement to the media.
He said he would also pursue the release of Kenyans held as prisoners of war in Ukraine and "verify" the condition of those hospitalised.
Mudavadi said more than 30 Kenyans had been evacuated from Russia over the past two months and unscrupulous recruitment agencies in the east African country had been shut down.