- Dancan Chege was informed by friends that a local agent was recruiting Kenyans willing to work as drivers in Russia
- He was promised KSh 3 million upon arriving in Moscow, and was convinced the deal was too good to let go
- When he arrived, he was forced to join the Russian military alongside 10 other Kenyans, who were killed in the first week of the operation
It has been nearly four years since Russia invaded Ukraine, launching deadly aerial attacks that prompted an instant response from Kyiv.
Source: Facebook
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner 😉
There was fear, tension and anxiety. The world was unsettled by the daring invasion and massive explosions that followed. Many had hoped that the two nations would not go to war. And even when the first missile was launched, there was still hope that the war would not last long.
Some thought that Ukraine would throw in the towel and pander to the whims of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. It did not happen.
The fight escalated, and the world was pushed to the edge of economic meltdown. Many countries that relied on oil and agricultural supplies from Kyiv and Moscow felt the pinch.
In Kimende, Kiambu County, Dancan Chege did not bother much about what was happening in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. At no point did he ever imagine that he would find himself in the middle of the deadly confrontation pitting Russia against Ukraine.
Three years and 10 months later, Chege found himself in Russian military fatigues leading the onslaught against Ukraine. He had never even imagined fighting for Kenya, let alone a foreign country.
How did he find himself in Russia?
Like many Kenyan youth searching for jobs, Chege was lured by friends to move to Moscow. A local agent was recruiting Kenyans who were willing to go to Russia to work as drivers, and Chege was convinced the deal was good. He submitted his application and was picked alongside 10 others.
“I knew I was going to be a driver, but when we reached Moscow, things changed. We were taken into the camp and forced to sign contracts to fight for Russia,” recalled Chege.
He had never handled a gun or dreamt of engaging in a gunfight. They were trained for one month on how to use the firearms, tankers, drones, missiles and other sophisticated weapons.
“The training itself was torture. It is like they wanted to kill us. We were being trained for 24 hours a day for one month. No time to rest. I felt like we were already on the battlefield,” he recalled.
Chege was promised KSh 3 million upon arriving in Russia, but he never recieved the money. He arrived in Russia in November 2025 and was deployed to fight for Putin’s men in December.
“My account had a problem, and it took a long time to have it fixed. There are those comrades who recieved payment, but most of them died on the battlefield,” explained the Kenyan survivor.
One week after crossing the border into Ukraine to launch attacks, 10 of his colleagues from Kenya were gunned down and left in the bush.
“We were 11 of us when we left the country for Russia. When we were taken to Ukraine, all my comrades from Kenya were killed, 10 of them. I’m the only one who survived. It was by God’s grace that I came out of Ukrainian territory alive,” narrated Chege.
He painted a picture of a horrible experience while on the battlefield. For African fighters, the enemy is not just Ukrainian soldiers determined to defend their territory, but also Russian forces, who ought to be their allies.
According to Chege, the Russian soldiers “don’t care how one feels”. Their orders must be obeyed regardless of the danger they pose.
Those who attempt to resist or question instructions are assaulted, harassed and tortured until they comply.
“I saw thousands of bodies. People are killed every minute. It is traumatising. I have heard some Kenyans say that they want to go to Russia; let them not try. I have firsthand experience, and I can tell you it’s a death trap. Chances of surviving are 1% on the highest,” warned the survivor.
So how did Chege manage to escape from Russia?
When Chege realised that all his comrades from Kenya had been killed, he started planning covertly how to escape from the battlefield. He knew it was a dangerous move, but he was determined to do it anyway.
“I started behaving like a madman. I could pick up a gun and spray bullets indiscriminately. Sometimes I wailed, threw myself on the floor roll and so forth. I did everything that insane people do. Finally, the commander ordered that I be taken to the military hospital for assessment.
He was taken back to Russia for treatment. The journey took three days. All this time, Chege stuck to his script of madness.
He was taken to three hospitals for mental assessment.
It is at the third facility that he decided to test the sympathy and empathy of one of the doctors who had been attending to him.
“I told him that my family had been involved in an accident and I had lost them. I asked that he discharge me so I could check on them,” recalled
The medic was touched by his story and agreed to discharge him. He called and instructed a soldier who had brought Chege to the facility to accompany him to the barracks for clearance.
As they left the hospital, Chege made up his mind: he would rather be killed than return to the military camp.
He asked the Russian soldier to accompany him to the Kenyan embassy, ostensibly to collect money that some Kenyans had contributed to support him following the death of his family members.
“He agreed, but I suspect he knew the plan but decided to play along. He was a good comrade. I still talk to him to date,” Chege said.
When they arrived at the embassy, Chege switched to Kiswahili and asked one of the ladies to help him escape from Russia. They acted swiftly and organised his travel back to Kenya.
“I did not have any money because by the time I was escaping, my account had not been fixed. All I wanted was to come back home, and I thank my family because when they heard that I had escaped, they sent the money for the ticket,” said the survivor.
Chege arrived in Kenya on Friday, January 16. He has since been sharing chilling videos of what used to happen on the battlefield.
In one of the videos he shared recently on his TikTok account, he explained how Ukrainian soldiers were using highly sophisticated artillery and drones that could spot and flash out enemies even from the thickest thickets.
How many Kenyans have joined Russian military?
In September 2025, a Kenyan athlete was captured by Ukrainian soldiers while fighting for Russia.
Evans Kibet was among hundreds of fighters who were duped by local recruitment agents to travel to Moscow to work in the transaport and construction sectors, only to find themselves in military camps.
Kibet, in a recorded video, said he was trained for one week and handed a gun to go and fight Ukrainian soldiers on their soil.
After days of heavy gunfire excahnge, he surrendered to the Ukrainian troops and begged not to be taken back to Russia.
According to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who doubles as CS for Foreign Affairs, there could be more than 200 Kenyans who have joined the Russian military.
Mudavadi revealed that some victims had been captured and detained in Ukrainian prisons, while the lucky ones were able to find their way home through the embassy.
The CS noted that most of the rescued victims reported severe injuries and exploitation while working under the Russian military.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
