Festus Omwamba, the man accused of human trafficking, has claimed that he surrendered to police in Moyale following death threats by unknown Russian individuals.
A magistrate yesterday ordered that lawyers representing the suspect, who owns Global Face Human Resources, return to court on Thursday to cross-examine investigating officers who revealed the alleged death threats when seeking custodial orders.
Prosecutors on Thursday asked the Kahawa magistrates court to deny Mr Omwamba bail or bond, so that he can be protected while in custody, as investigators complete a human trafficking investigation in which the 33-year-old is a prime suspect.
Police and intelligence officers believe that Mr Omwamba is the local leader in a global human trafficking ring that has duped at least 1,000 Kenyans into joining the Russian military and fighting in the frontlines of its invasion of Ukraine.
In court, Mr Omwamba denied any involvement in human trafficking.
Mr Omwamba’s legal team opposed his detention, citing an existing anticipatory bail of Ksh 100,000 that was issued by the High Court on February 4.
Festus Omwamba when he appeared before the Kahawa Law Courts on February 26, 2026.
Photo credit: Simon Ciuri | Nation Media Group
On Thursday, Mr. Omwamba appeared jovial, he exchanged pleasantries with journalists outside and inside the court and put up a strong face despite a charge sheet of human trafficking for war that attracts 30 years’ imprisonment or Sh30 million fine upon conviction.
The prosecution team through an affidavit led by police constable Robi Stella told the court that they are opposed to Mr Omwamba’s release on bond, arguing that he may interfere with evidence.
“Investigations are still ongoing, and the accused person is likely to interfere with the process if released. The rescued victims of trafficking may be intimidated, be re-victimised, or dissuaded from testifying should the accused be released,” the DCI said in its affidavit.
Prosecutors also held that keeping him in custody could be the best way of keeping Mr Omwamba from harm’s way in the event that the death threats from the unnamed Russians are actualised.
''The accused had alleged threats to his life. For his own safety, he should be placed in custody. He reached out to the investigating officer expressing fear after receiving threats from Russian mercenaries. Being in custody is for his own protection. His place of abode has not been established,” the prosecution told the court.
But the accused legal team opposed the latter, maintaining Omwamba voluntarily surrendered himself to authorities and that he was not a flight risk. They went ahead to say that the accused was ready to deposit his Passport.
The magistrate ruled that the order of the High Court issued earlier provides that the accused person should not be arrested in the intervening period in the investigations alluded to, noting that the orders sought were intended to shield the accused during pendency of the application and was not to operate as bar from prosecution.
“The order of the High Court provides that the accused person should not be arrested in the intervening period in the investigations alluded to. They were intended to shield the accused during pendency of the application and was not to operate as a bar from prosecution. It is indeed that the applicant was alive and open to appear in court for purposes of plea taking. The orders do not bar the reading of charges to the accused person,” the magistrate ruled.
A National Intelligence Service (NIS) read to MPs on February 18, 2026 indicated that a stop order – against Mr Omwamba had been issued for his alleged role in luring Kenyans to their death on the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war.
It remains unclear how Mr. Omwamba made frequent flights to Russia despite the existence of the stop order.
Mikhail Lyapin, a Russian national who investigators and intelligence officers believe is Mr Omwamba’s business partner, was arrested on September 24, 2025 following a raid on an apartment in Athi River’s Greatwall Apartments.
During the raid, police found 22 Kenyans in the apartment. The 22 individuals were at the time set to travel to Moscow to join the Russian military.
Festus Arasa Omwamba, the 33-year-old man whom the National Intelligence Service has accused of recruiting 1,000 Kenyans to fight for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
Photo credit: Pool
Some of the 22 individuals in their statements said that they thought they were going to do civilian jobs, and that rumours of joining the Russian military only started circulating after they spent a night in the Athi River apartment.
Edward Gituku, believed to be an associate of Mr Omwamba, was also arrested after the raid.
On Tuesday, Mr Omwamba told the Nation that he had relocated to Russia, where he has been working for months, as a supervisor in a cleaning company but was returning to Kenya on March for a mention of a High Court suit he had filed last year, seeking anticipatory bail, which would block authorities from arresting him in relation to the Russian military recruitment allegations.
Yesterday, an investigator familiar with the probe told the Nation Police had managed to recover 288 duplicate passports of the people Omwamba had helped secure jobs in Russia.
The investigator said the police were still trying to locate the families of the individuals said to be now in Russia.
In his preliminary statements, Omwamba has told the police that he did not know that the people he had assisted find employment in Ruassia and other countries had turned into fighters.
