Speaking before a joint Senate committee on labor and defense, Mudavadi said authorities had documented 354 Kenyan nationals involved in the conflict, Anadolu Agency reported.
“On the front lines, we have indications of 77. In camp, 38. Those who are in unknown locations or unclassified, it’s estimated at 52. Those killed or missing in action, 84,” he said.
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Mudavadi said 34 Kenyans had been hospitalized, while 62 had been repatriated. Five others had been identified as prisoners of war, one was detained and another had completed a military contract.
He said efforts to establish the whereabouts of some Kenyans were complicated because families sometimes contact authorities only after losing communication with relatives in Russia.
“We therefore encourage families to engage with the department as soon as possible,” Mudavadi said.
The State Department for Diaspora Affairs collects identification and travel information before referring cases to Kenya’s Embassy in Moscow for verification, he added.
Mudavadi also told lawmakers that Kenya had secured a halt to the recruitment of its nationals into Russia’s military following his visit to Moscow in March 2026.
“During my official visit to Moscow in March this year, 2026, we secured Kenya’s inclusion on Russia’s stop list,” he said.
According to Mudavadi, the Kenyan Embassy in Moscow has since confirmed that no additional Kenyan nationals have been enlisted in Russia’s military operation following the implementation of the stop list.
He said Russian authorities were considering requests to terminate military contracts on an individual basis, with final decisions resting with commanders of the relevant military units.
Mudavadi also said Russia’s Defense Ministry had declined to cover the costs of returning the remains of Kenyan nationals who died during the conflict. Kenya is therefore negotiating with Russian authorities and affected families over burial, cremation or repatriation arrangements.
Nairobi is also working with Ukrainian authorities through its embassy in Vienna, which is accredited to Ukraine, on cases involving Kenyan nationals detained during the conflict.
The Senate committee is examining the recruitment of Kenyans into Russia’s military, as well as efforts to locate, assist and repatriate citizens affected by the war.
