A 33-year-old Kenyan national, Festus Arasa Omwamba, a director of Global Face Limited, has been arraigned in court on charges of human trafficking and exploitation. He is accused by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of recruiting 22 Kenyan youths and facilitating their travel to Russia between December 1, 2024, and September 24, 2025, with the intent of exploitation in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Omwamba pleaded not guilty before Senior Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage at the Kahawa Law Courts. The prosecution detailed that Omwamba, jointly with another person already before the court, allegedly lured these individuals with promises of legitimate employment abroad. However, investigations revealed that some who traveled were deployed to the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine conflict after undergoing minimal training. Prosecuting counsel Kennedy Amwayi informed the court that 22 victims were rescued in Athi River on September 24, 2025, and three others who had already traveled to Russia returned to Kenya with injuries sustained in combat zones.

The prosecution argued that Omwamba is a flight risk and that the case has garnered significant public interest both locally and internationally, with calls for accountability following reported losses of life in Russia. Omwamba surrendered at the Moyale immigration border point on February 2 and was subsequently arrested and handed over to the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU). Detectives describe him as a key player in a larger human trafficking syndicate that exploits vulnerable individuals with promises of lucrative jobs in Europe and other destinations, only for them to find themselves in illegal and dangerous engagements, stripped of their freedom and safety.

This arraignment stems from findings by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which uncovered an extensive network allegedly involved in recruiting and trafficking Kenyans to fight in Ukraine. Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah presented a report in the National Assembly, alleging that rogue officials in key government agencies enabled recruits to travel undetected through airports. The report also implicated personnel at diplomatic missions, including the Russian Embassy in Nairobi and Kenya's Embassy in Moscow, in the alleged issuance of visas and travel facilitation.

Ichung'wah highlighted that the Russia-Ukraine war continues to drive the recruitment of foreign fighters by rogue agencies and individuals in Kenya. The report estimates that over 1,000 Kenyans may have been recruited, enticed by promises of monthly pay up to Sh350,000 and bonuses of up to Sh1.2 million, along with prospects of foreign citizenship. Many were reportedly deployed to military camps after as little as three weeks of training, leading to grim outcomes such as hospitalization, disappearance, repatriation, and at least one confirmed death as of February 2026. Authorities have since frozen bank accounts linked to suspects and recovered passports, contracts, phones, and laptops.

On February 19, the Russian Embassy in Nairobi denied these allegations, calling them a