Dennis Muthui: Kenyan Man Missing After Alleged Russian Military Recruitment

Dennis Ngunga Muthui, a 33-year-old Kenyan from Kitui, has been missing since 1 October 2026 after telling his family he had been recruited into the Russian military.

Dennis left Kenya on 25 August 2025 with several other Kenyans recruited through Globeface Human Resources Ltd Agency. His sister, Lynn Vata Muthui, said he had initially told the family that he had secured a driving job in Russia.

After arriving in the country, however, Dennis told his relatives that he had been enlisted into the military. He sent the family a photograph of himself wearing a military uniform, as well as a dog tag, which he said confirmed his new circumstances.

In later communications, Dennis told his family that he was being deployed towards the Russia-Ukraine border. His phone went silent on 1 October 2026, and his relatives have not received any confirmed information about his whereabouts or condition since then.

The disappearance has deeply affected the Muthui family. Lynn said their father had been particularly shaken, while Dennis' niece, Lenah, described the distress within the household.

“No one is at peace,” Lynn said. The family wants to establish whether Dennis is alive, injured, detained or still involved in the fighting.

Relatives have sought assistance from the Russian Embassy in Nairobi and Kenya's State Department for Diaspora Affairs, but they have not received definitive information about his fate. Dennis' case comes amid reports that hundreds of Kenyans have been recruited into Russia's military after being offered civilian employment. 

Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu has said 289 Kenyans had been documented as having joined the Russian military at some point. Of those, 64 have returned to Kenya, while 69 have been confirmed dead or are missing. The status of the remaining recruits remains unclear. Officials have said the actual number could be higher because recruitment networks operate discreetly and verifying information from active war zones remains difficult.

The Kenyan government has engaged Russian authorities over the recruitment of its citizens. Nairobi has called on Moscow to stop further recruitment and assist Kenyans who have already become involved in the conflict.

Russia has reportedly agreed to place Kenya on a “stop list” intended to prevent further enlistment of Kenyan citizens. However, the arrangement has not provided the Muthui family with information about Dennis' individual case.

For his relatives, the immediate priority remains establishing what happened to him and, if he is alive, finding a way to bring him home.