NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, has departed for Moscow for high-level bilateral talks aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between Kenya and Russia, the government announced Sunday.
The two-day visit to Russia will focus on expanding cooperation in key sectors, including education, labour mobility, health, infrastructure, and energy, according to a statement from the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary.
Mudavadi is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, as well as senior officials responsible for education and labour. He will also deliver a public lecture at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), a leading diplomatic university in Moscow.
The Kenyan government said the visit seeks to deepen long-standing cooperation between the two countries while exploring new opportunities for trade and investment.
Officials noted that Russia has supported Kenya’s education sector through scholarships and has also assisted in improving agricultural productivity through fertilizer supplies.
“There exists a great potential for the export of Kenyan coffee, tea, and floriculture to the Russian market, especially at a time of the Middle East turbulence and beyond,” Mudavadi said in the statement.
Beyond economic diplomacy, the talks will also address growing concerns about the welfare of Kenyan nationals living and working in Russia, particularly in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Kenyan authorities say some citizens may have been recruited—voluntarily or otherwise—into the Russian military.
Mudavadi is expected to raise the issue directly with Russian officials, seeking clarity and safeguards to prevent misleading recruitment practices and false promises of employment.
“The Prime CS will intensify diplomatic efforts to engage directly with Russian authorities through dialogue, to prevent further risks arising from misleading recruitment or false promises of employment,” the statement said.
The government will also push for the facilitation of safe repatriation processes for Kenyans affected by the conflict involving Russia and Ukraine.
The engagement is part of broader government efforts to protect Kenyan citizens abroad, officials said, emphasizing the need to ensure that Kenyans working or studying overseas live and work in safe and dignified conditions.
