- Many Kenyan families have been left devastated, with sons missing or confirmed dead after being illegally recruited to join the Russian-Ukraine war
- Vincent Ndung’u is among the lucky few who managed to escape and return home from Russia
- He shared the chilling voice note his friend in the battlefield sent him and recounted how he managed to escape with the help of a taxi driver
Several Kenyans have been deceived and illegally recruited to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war in exchange for hefty pay.
Source: Youtube
These illegal recruitments have left many families devastated, their sons missing in Russia with no way of knowing their whereabouts. Others have received news of their children’s deaths, forcing some families to hold mock funerals without the bodies of their sons.
Yet, a few who went to the war-torn country have managed to return home safely to share their harrowing experiences.
How did Gatundu man go to Russia?
One such Kenyan is 34-year-old Vincet Ndung’u from Kimunyu village in Gatundu South, Kiambu county.
Ndung’u tearfully recounted how he travelled to Russia a month ago, only to narrowly escape and return home. He explained that he first learnt about the recruitment on 6 December 2025 through a friend.
To the father of three, the offer seemed irresistible, as he had been struggling to provide for his family, taking on menial jobs just to put a decent meal on the table.
The contract promised him, and a friend from a neighbouring village, a bonus of KSh 1.6 million and a monthly salary of KSh 300,000 after completing training. The lucrative offer had him sold without asking further questions.
“I did the maths and realised that by the time I finished my one-year contract, I would have enough to settle. I started planning the trip without informing my family because I knew if I told my mother, she would not allow me to go. But she was suspicious,” he shared.
Ndung’u said his documents were ready within a single day, and he left the country alongside five other Kenyans who had also been promised the hefty pay.
“Powerful people were involved because our check-in was smooth, unlike other travellers. You presented your documents and were directed to another office,” he recalled.
Once in Russia, Ndung’u and the others were taken to an accommodation facility while awaiting deployment to the training grounds. There, they met 11 more Kenyans.
While at the facility, Ndung’u received a message from his friend Kanyago, the one who had connected him to the recruiting agency, that sent chills down his spine.
How did Vincent Ndung’u’s friend and taxi driver help him escape war?
Kanyago warned him against proceeding to training and deployment, urging him to find a way out.
“People are dying here. I’m the one who told you guys to come here to make money, but please, just quit it. There’s no point in all of us dying here,” the message read.
Panicked, Ndung’u and another man from Gatundu managed to escape the accommodation facility with the help of a taxi driver.
The two were hosted by a kind-hearted Samaritan for seven days before he arranged a plane ticket back to Kenya.
Why was Kenyan man hospitalised in Russia?
In other news, TUKO.co.ke reported that Denis Mokaya pleaded with the Kenyan government to help bring him home.
Mokaya said he travelled to the foreign country with the promise of a cleaning job, only to be forced into military service.
While on duty, he was seriously injured in a drone strike and was hospitalised. He claimed he had been tricked into joining the war.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
