NAIROBI, Kenya Jul 1 – Cabinet has approved the country’s accession to two international anti-mercenary treaties in a move aimed at curbing the recruitment of Kenyans into foreign armed conflicts and strengthening efforts against human trafficking.
The approval clears the way for Kenya to formally join the 1989 United Nations Convention Against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries as well as the 1977 OAU Convention for the Elimination of Mercenarism in Africa.
The Cabinet also approved proposals to amend the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act and related legislation to tighten enforcement against illegal recruitment networks.
The reforms come amid increasing concern over reports that more than 500 Kenyans have allegedly been recruited to fight alongside the Russian military in the ongoing war against Ukraine.
According to the Cabinet memorandum, loopholes in existing laws have allowed rogue recruitment agencies to exploit vulnerable Kenyans by luring them into risky overseas assignments under false promises of employment opportunities.
The proposed amendments are expected to strengthen action against trafficking syndicates accused of sending Kenyans to countries in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe for forced labour, sexual exploitation and other criminal activities.
Although Kenya is already a signatory to the OAU convention, it has not formally acceded to the UN Mercenaries Convention. The government says joining both treaties will enhance the country’s legal framework by enabling prosecution or extradition of offenders involved in mercenary activities and human trafficking.
The Cabinet noted that the continued involvement of Kenyan nationals in foreign mercenary operations risks damaging the country’s standing in international peace and security forums.
Officials say accession to the treaties will also reinforce Kenya’s long-standing foreign policy principles of non-interference, non-alignment and the peaceful resolution of disputes, while providing a stronger diplomatic basis to reject allegations linking the country to mercenary activities abroad.