Amb.Dr.Peter Mutuku Mathuki,PhD

Held important bilateral consultations with H.E. Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, in Moscow during my official visit to Russia from 15–18 March 2026. While our discussions focused on strengthening Kenya–Russia relations, the welfare of Kenyan citizens affected by the Russia–Ukraine conflict remained a central priority. Following our engagement, the Russian Federation agreed to facilitate consular access to Kenyan nationals in hospitals and other civilian facilities, support the repatriation of the injured, and enable the dignified return of the remains of those who have lost their lives. We also agreed to facilitate the disengagement of Kenyans currently involved in military operations who wish to exit, alongside the expedited processing of applicable compensation through established diplomatic channels. I further reaffirmed Kenya’s legal position that Kenyans should not be enlisted into foreign armed forces, in line with Section 68 of the Penal Code (Cap 63), which prohibits such enlistment without written authority from the President of Kenya. Consequently, Kenya has been placed on a STOP LIST for the recruitment of its nationals into the ongoing conflict. We also agreed to strengthen information sharing between Kenya and the Russian Federation to combat human trafficking and smuggling networks that exploit vulnerable individuals through misleading recruitment schemes. Kenya remains firmly committed to protecting the safety, dignity and rights of its citizens wherever they may be.