The head of an agency that recruited Kenyans for the war in Ukraine on the side of Russia has been arrested in Kenya.

The founder of the recruiting agency Global Face Human Resources, which authorities accuse of sending citizens of the country to fight in Ukraine on the side of Russia, has been detained in Kenya. We are talking about Festus Omwamba - according to the police, Kenyans were recruited through his structure under the guise of employment in Russia.

According to the AP, Omwamba was detained in the northern town of Moyale, near the border with Ethiopia. According to police spokesman Michael Muchiri, he tried to escape after returning from Russia. He was taken to Nairobi on Thursday and charged with human trafficking. The case is being considered in the anti-terrorism court. The investigation claims that last year at least 25 people were sent to Russia through Omwamba’s structure.

Earlier in September, police conducted a raid in Nairobi, finding 21 young men in a rented apartment preparing to fly to Russia, AFP notes . One Global Face Human Resources employee, Edward Githuku, was charged with human trafficking and released on bail. According to investigators, he played a key role in organizing the departure of the recruits.

During the investigation, Kenyan authorities also mentioned Russian citizen Mikhail Lyapin, who was linked to the recruitment scheme. In September he was taken to the Kenya Criminal Investigation Department for questioning and then left the country. The Russian Embassy in Nairobi stated that Lyapin is not a government employee and left Kenya in accordance with a previously planned trip, emphasizing that his rights were not violated.

The Kenyan government claimed that in total more than 1,000 Kenyans were recruited to fight in the war. According to official data, at least 89 citizens of the country remain on the front line, 39 are in hospitals, 28 are listed as missing, and some have returned home. At least one person has been confirmed dead.

Three Kenyan recruits who spoke to the AP identified Omwamba as the coordinator of the scheme. They said they were promised skilled jobs—such as plumbing jobs—but upon arrival in Russia, their passports were confiscated and, after brief training, they were sent to the front. Recruitment took place in Nairobi: candidates were placed in a house while awaiting departure, tourist visas and tickets were arranged through the organizers.

An intelligence report presented to Parliament by Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwa alleges that both Kenyan and Russian actors may have been involved in the scheme, working in conjunction with unscrupulous recruitment agencies. The Russian embassy in Nairobi had previously denied the allegations, saying it did not issue visas to people intending to travel to Russia to take part in hostilities. At the same time, the diplomatic mission emphasized that Russia “does not exclude the possibility of foreign citizens voluntarily joining the armed forces.”

Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi told AP on February 9 that he intends to visit Russia for diplomatic consultations in order to stop the activities of structures that “take advantage of the situation.” According to him, Nairobi is also seeking the return of Kenyans trapped in Ukrainian prisons and the repatriation of those in Russia.

Omwamba's arrest was the first high-profile detention in the framework of the Kenyan authorities' campaign to stop the recruitment of citizens to participate in the war in Ukraine.

In December, Kenyan authorities announced the return to their homeland of 18 citizens previously recruited in Russia to participate in the war. According to local media, some of them were seriously injured. The men were among more than 80 Kenyans who contacted the embassy in Moscow asking for help. The government has revoked the licenses of more than 600 employment agencies suspected of sending citizens to Russia under the guise of work, and has said it is negotiating with Ukraine over the release of Kenyans held captive.