A Kenyan man who was recruited under false pretences to fight in the Russia–Ukraine war has spoken out after safely returning home, shedding light on the growing problem of deceptive overseas recruitment targeting unemployed youth.
Duncan Chege, a resident of Kiambu County, says he travelled to Russia in late 2025 after being promised a well-paying civilian job as a driver.
According to his account, the opportunity was arranged through intermediaries who assured him that the work was legal and had no connection to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
However, upon arrival in Moscow, Chege says he and several other Kenyans were taken to a military facility instead of a workplace.
They were allegedly coerced into signing contracts written in Russian, a language they did not understand, before undergoing basic military training and being deployed to the frontlines in Ukraine.
Chege has recounted witnessing intense fighting and the deaths of fellow recruits, many of whom were foreign nationals.
He claims that within a short period, most of the Kenyans he travelled with were killed, leaving him traumatised and desperate to escape.
In a bid to survive, Chege says he pretended to be mentally unstable, behaving erratically to draw the attention of his commanders.
His actions reportedly led to his transfer to a military hospital, where doctors assessed him and later discharged him from active duty.
He was subsequently allowed to visit the Kenyan embassy in Moscow, which facilitated his return to Kenya in January 2026.
The case has raised fresh concerns among Kenyan authorities about organised recruitment networks luring citizens abroad with false job offers.
The government has previously warned that hundreds of Kenyans may have been drawn into the conflict through similar schemes.
Chege’s experience has renewed calls for stricter oversight of foreign job recruitment agencies and greater public awareness about the risks associated with unverified overseas employment opportunities.