Patrick Kwoba, a 39-year-old Kenyan carpenter, has issued a chilling warning to fellow Kenyans after surviving the Russia-Ukraine war, urging them not to enlist in the Russian military following what he described as a terrifying, life-altering ordeal.
Speaking to CNN journalists Larry Madowo and Katharina Krebs, Kwoba revealed that once someone joins the Russian army, there is no freedom, saying recruits either escape or die, as contracts are forcibly extended without consent.
Kwoba explained he was persuaded by a friend already serving in Russia, who shared glamorous images online. He paid a Kenyan agent Ksh80,000 and was promised a Ksh3.7 million signing bonus upon arrival in Moscow.
Instead of a security role, Kwoba received just three weeks of basic training before being deployed to Ukraine as a combatant. He described the four months he spent in active service as pure hell.
His survival came after suffering injuries during a Ukrainian drone and grenade ambush. Rather than helping, his Russian partner turned hostile, deepening his despair as he struggled to access medical treatment on the battlefield.
Investigations revealed African recruits faced racism, withheld salaries, and restrictive contracts offering no exit. Kwoba later fled while recovering in St. Petersburg, reaching Kenya’s embassy in Moscow after soldiers confiscated his passport and phone.
Now back in Nairobi, Kwoba still requires surgery to remove metal fragments lodged in his thighs and back. He credits embassy officials for issuing emergency travel documents that enabled his escape from the conflict zone.
Nearly all African soldiers interviewed by CNN expressed a desire to leave the war, including trained veterans. The report followed Ukraine’s identification of Kenyan Clinton Nyapara Mogesa among fallen fighters in Donetsk.
Kwoba hopes his story will deter others from being lured by false promises, stressing that foreign recruits are exploited and abandoned, urging Kenyans to seek safer opportunities at home rather than risking their lives abroad.
By Nairobihub