AP
Kenya Russia Recruits
Festus Omwamba sits inside the dock at Kahawa Law Courts in Kiambu on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
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Police in Kenya say they arrested a man named in the alleged scheme that duped Kenyans with promises of skilled work in Russia that saw them end up on the front lines of the fighting in Ukraine. Festus Omwamba was arrested on suspicion of human trafficking Wednesday in northern Kenya near the border with Ethiopia. Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri says Omwamba was fleeing after returning to the country from Russia. The Kenyan government last week said more than 1,000 Kenyans were recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine.