Kenya is using diplomatic channels to secure the return of nationals caught up in the Russia-Ukraine war, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi told a joint sitting of two Senate committees.
Mudavadi said the government was working through its diplomatic missions to locate Kenyans whose whereabouts were unknown, seek the release of those held in Ukraine and help those able to leave the conflict return home.
The government has recorded 354 Kenyan nationals connected to the crisis. The figure includes people on the front lines, those whose whereabouts are unknown, people reported killed or missing in action, hospitalised or repatriated, and five confirmed prisoners of war. So far, 62 Kenyans have been repatriated.
Kenya has secured its inclusion on a Russian “stop list” intended to prevent further enlistment of Kenyans in the military operation. The Kenyan Embassy in Moscow reported no additional enlistments since the measure took effect.
The government is monitoring the five confirmed prisoners of war in Ukraine through diplomatic channels and pursuing ways to secure their release, including possible prisoner exchanges. The whereabouts of some Kenyans believed to have died remain uncertain.
Mudavadi said Russia had told Kenya it could not cover the cost of repatriating the remains of deceased Kenyans. Cases are being handled individually, while resources have been reallocated to provide some returnees with accommodation, food and air tickets.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary proposed establishing a welfare fund through legislation to support returnees and repatriation of remains, subject to parliamentary approval and funding. The committees directed that petitioners’ documents be sent to the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs for verification, and called for the process to be expedited.
