NAIROBI — More than 1,000 Kenyans have reportedly joined Russia’s army to fight in Ukraine, with most allegedly misled into signing military contracts, according to an intelligence assessment presented to Kenya’s Parliament.

The revelation comes amid growing evidence of Russia targeting African countries with promises of high-paying jobs, only to deploy recruits to front-line combat, a tactic highlighted in recent investigations, including one by AFP earlier this month.

A joint probe by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), presented to lawmakers on Tuesday, estimates the number of Kenyan recruits at over 1,000 — a sharp increase from the roughly 200 previously reported in December.

Parliamentary Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah told the House that many recruits depart the country on tourist visas, travelling through Istanbul, Turkey, and Abu Dhabi, UAE, before joining Russian forces.

He noted that heightened border checks at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport have prompted some recruits to transit through other African nations to avoid detection.

The report underscores concerns over the exploitation of unemployed Kenyan youth and has raised calls for stricter oversight of overseas recruitment and urgent measures to protect citizens from being misled into foreign conflicts.