Investigations into illegal recruitment of Kenyans to fight for Russia led to the arrest of one Mike Lyapin, a Russian national who is a key player in the cartel trafficking Kenyans to Russia to join the military.
The arrest on Thursday evening came after the security sleuths rescued 21 Kenyans from rented apartments where they were unknowingly being processed to travel to Russia.
Lyapin, who first came to Kenya on March 6, 2017, was booked at Muthaiga Police cells, awaiting arraignment. He was arrested in Nairobi as he planned to hide after learning he was wanted, police said.
The security officers continue to caution Kenyans from being duped with lucrative offers of employment in Russia as they will end up being forcefully enlisted in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Officials said they are pursuing more suspects in the saga. This is after it emerged more than a dozen Kenyans had left for Russia for the mission.
Kenya’s security agencies on Wednesday unravelled the mysterious human trafficking syndicate which has been recruiting Kenyans in the guise of work in Moscow, Russia but end up joining Russian military.
The group is later deployed to the war front with Ukraine.
This success was borne out of a multi-agency approach where officers drawn across security agencies focused on the vice after it was established Kenyans were being duped to pay huge amounts to secure employment in Russia but end up fighting with Ukraine forces where some are reported to be killed and those who survive are maimed, bear wounds of torture or a psychologically disturbed.
Two Kenyans returned to the country recently from Russia and one is admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital.
On Wednesday September 24, 2025, Transnational Organised Crime Unit of the DCI led other security officers in an intelligence led operation at Great wall apartments in Athi River where 21 Kenyans were found housed awaiting processing to Russia.
The officers arrested one Edward Kamau Gituku who was coordinating processing of the victims to travel to Russia on diverse dates in September and October for enlistment in the military under the guise of lucrative jobs abroad.
The victims disclosed to the officers that they had signed an agreement with an unnamed overseas employment support agency binding them to pay Sh1.65 million to Sh2.31 million for visas, travel, accommodation and logistics.
Those who fail to pay within 35days are charged a 1% daily penalty.
Some of the victims indicated that they had already paid deposits ranging from Sh50,000 to Sh100,000 upon being promised a salary of Sh200,000.
During the raid, the officers recovered documents suggesting high level recruitment activities among them a one-year partnership between Global Face Human Resource Ltd with Ecopillars Manpower Ltd to recruit, screen and deploy Kenyans to Russia.
Also recovered were cheque books, travel documents and job offer letters from different countries.
A preliminary investigation points to a well-coordinated recruitment scan with some of the main players reported to be senior people in the society. The victims are expected to shed more light to the vice.
Some of the rescued men could be ex-police and soldiers, though the majority were civilians from various parts of Kenya.
Several of the men narrated how they had paid agents to secure jobs abroad.
A father of three from Kiambu County said he had been promised a military job in Russia with a salary of Sh250,000.
“I came here on Friday last week but one. A friend told me that there was a well-paying job in Russia. We were to join the military. I was told they would pay me Sh250,000 in the job,” he said.
He explained that financial struggles pushed him to accept the offer.
“I am a father of three. I was given the number of the person organising the movement. I talked to him, and he told me what to do and the process to follow,” he said.
The man added that he paid Sh50,000 plus medical fees before being instructed to move into the apartment.
“We were preparing to leave the country for Russia when the detectives came knocking on our doors. We were actually signing documents as past touches,” he recounted.
Another victim, an electrician from Voi, said he left his job after being linked to the agents by a friend. “I left my job to go to Russia. I paid the money through M-Pesa as evidence of payment. I don’t know what is happening,” he said.
He explained that he arrived at the Athi River apartments on Monday and was among those who had their documents ready. He had paid Sh53,000 in total — Sh50,000 for accommodation and Sh3,500 for medical charges.
Investigations into the suspected trafficking ring are ongoing, with police warning that the syndicate has been targeting vulnerable Kenyans desperate for work abroad.
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