Kenya labour minister accused over Russian forced recruitment

A Kenyan family's search for opportunity has ended in tragedy and sparked serious allegations against Labour Minister Alfred Mutua. Erastus Mundia, a 38-year-old father of three, left Kenya in June 2025 under a work programme that promised well-paying civilian jobs in Russia.

Instead, according to reports, he and hundreds of other Kenyans were allegedly forced to sign contracts with the Russian military and sent to fight in Ukraine, often with little training. Mundia was killed on the battlefield.

His mother, Josephine Ngoya, says the Kenyan government and Labour Minister Alfred Mutua betrayed families who trusted the programme. In June, Mutua shared photos of himself with Mundia and around 20 others leaving for Russia, saying they were headed for a "life-changing opportunity" that would earn them $900 dollars a month in a food-packing factory.

VOCAL Africa, a Kenyan rights group, believes most of the workers in the photos are now dead. Kenya says nearly 300 citizens have been caught up in irregular military recruitment, including 19 dead and 32 missing.

Meanwhile an intelligence report reportedly suggests the number could exceed one thousand.