Kisumu Man Loses Arm and Millions in Russian Military Recruitment Fraud

A Kenyan job seeker who was duped into joining Russia's military has returned home missing his right hand, prompting President William Ruto to negotiate an emergency recruitment ban with Moscow.

Vincent, a resident of Kisumu, survived a drone attack on the Russia-Ukraine border after a Nairobi recruitment firm lured him to St Petersburg with the promise of a civilian job.

Following his return, President Ruto announced on October 30 that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to designate Kenya a non-source country for military recruitment. Kenya will also dispatch a defence attaché to its Moscow embassy to help repatriate remaining citizens and process compensation.

Vincent’s ordeal began when he sought overseas employment alongside a friend. A Nairobi agent claimed to offer government-backed civilian positions for unskilled workers, promising a monthly salary between 240,000 and 320,000 Russian roubles for a shopkeeper role.

The recruiter assured the applicants that visa fees and airfare were covered. However, the agency at Koinange Street later demanded an extra KSh30,000. Vincent’s family sold a cow so he could pay KSh10,000 towards the fee.

Vincent flew out on July 13, 2025, travelling via Istanbul to St Petersburg. Upon arrival on July 15, a handler confiscated the recruits' passports, visas, and return tickets before taking them to a bank.

At the bank, the men were forced to sign Russian-language documents without translations. According to Vincent, these papers granted third parties access to their bank accounts.

The recruits were then driven to an isolated house in a forest and told they had been enlisted as soldiers. After undergoing brief weapons training on firing rifles, they were dispatched directly to the frontline.

During combat near the border, Vincent took cover beside a fallen soldier to escape a drone strike. The attack severely damaged his right hand, and he also suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh, leaving a bullet lodged in his leg.

Vincent hid for 30 minutes while bleeding heavily before another soldier helped bandage his hand. He alleged that field medical personnel provided poor care and pressured him to keep fighting.

After a 15-day journey on foot out of the battle zone, Vincent accessed his phone and found that 1.5 million Russian roubles, comprising payouts of 800,000 and 700,000 roubles, had been cleared out of his account. He believes the recruiters stole the money.

Vincent spent nearly a month in a Russian hospital. When told he would be sent back to the front lines after recovery, he contacted the Kenyan Embassy in Moscow. Officials issued him temporary travel documents and assisted with his flight home via Sharjah.

Back in Kisumu, Vincent remains unemployed and in need of further surgery. Despite losing his hand and his earnings, he says he is trying to stay positive while warning other Kenyans not to fall for similar scams.