Kenya has sent its highest-level delegation to the Russia-Africa Summit, upending an earlier stance when it assigned the role to the ambassador in Moscow, Benson Ogutu, last time.
Ahead of the two-day Summit that starts on Wednesday, President William Ruto travelled to Moscow to lead Kenya's representation at the meeting that brings together Russian President Vladmir Putin and African leaders.
It is Ruto's first trip to Moscow since he was elected. But it could also signify more than just attending a summit.
Back in 2023, President Ruto had seen such meetings as part of global trend where African leaders are summoned to foreign capitals to attend summits. He saw it as disrespectful. Nonetheless, he would later, attend similar meetings separately called by China, Japan and the UK.
Back in July 2023, when Russia hosted the second edition of the summit in St Petersburg, Moscow was also in deeper crosshairs with the West over its invasion of Ukraine. Now, even the US has lessend sanctions and allowed purchase of diesel.
Ruto will attend the third summit on October 28 and 29, accompanied by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Musalia Mudavadi and other senior government officials.
Mudavadi, already in Moscow as part of advance team, said Kenya is seeking new export markets and investment opportunities in Russia.
"The Summit and Forum will bring together leaders and senior government representatives from Russia and African countries to discuss political cooperation, international peace and security, economic development and ways to strengthen cooperation," said a statement from Mudavadi's office.
Ruto's decision to honour the invitation this time means Kenyan Presidents have attended the summit twice. Uhuru Kenyatta attended the inaugural session in 2019 in Sochi.
The 2026 programme places Ruto at the centre of the summit's high-level engagements, including meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other business and political leaders.
The third summit comes at a delicate moment in Kenya-Russia relations, with families demanding answers about relatives who travelled to Russia and ended up in military service.
The presidential visit comes amid growing demands from families whose relatives travelled to Russia after allegedly being promised civilian jobs, only to end up in military service. Some recruits have died, others are missing, while families are still seeking information about relatives believed to be fighting on the front lines or being held as prisoners of war.
The crisis has added a difficult dimension to Kenya's relationship with Russia, with the government expected to pursue its economic interests while seeking answers about the fate of its citizens.
"Kenya and the Russian Federation enjoy cordial diplomatic relations. During the Summit, Dr Mudavadi is expected to hold bilateral talks with Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, on the state of bilateral relations, regional and international developments, and opportunities to deepen economic and political cooperation," said Mudavadi's office.
Kenya's engagement with Moscow comes against the backdrop of allegations that recruitment networks have been luring Kenyans to Russia with promises of lucrative employment before channeling them into military service.
According to an investigation cited in the United States Trafficking in Persons Report, more than 1,000 Kenyan men had allegedly been recruited to fight for Russia after being misled by promises of civilian employment.
The recruits were reportedly promised jobs in sectors including security and construction before some were pressured into signing contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence.
The scale of the problem remains contested, with different government agencies and investigations producing varying figures.
On October 8, Mudavadi told Parliament that the government had recorded 354 Kenyans connected to the conflict. Of these, 84 were classified as killed or missing in action, 77 were on the front lines, 34 were hospitalised, five were prisoners of war in Ukraine and 62 had been repatriated.
"The Ministry has records of 354 Kenyan nationals involved in the Russian-Ukraine crisis," Mr Mudavadi said.
The latest records list 77 Kenyans on the front line, 38 in military camps, 52 whose whereabouts are unknown or unclassified and 34 who are hospitalised. Another 62 have been repatriated, five are prisoners of war in Ukraine, one is in detention and another has completed a military contract.
The figures, however, raise questions about the scale of casualties and the government's ability to account for all those recruited into Russia's military.
"There is enough information available to prove that the numbers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are not accurate. When I submitted the documents that are now in your possession, I attached a list of approximately 841 Kenyan recruits as an attachment," said Peter Kamau, the petitioner and the representative of the recruited families.
The figures have left families demanding a comprehensive account of Kenyans who travelled to Russia, including those whose whereabouts remain unknown.
On October 6, more than 30 affected families met in Nairobi and called on Ruto to meet them before the Moscow summit. They want the government to raise the recruitment crisis directly with Russian authorities, secure the return of survivors and facilitate the repatriation of the remains of those who died.
