NAIROBI DAILY - 22 MARCH 2026
Kericho Mass Grave Probe Launched After Alleged Burial Of 14 Mutilated Bodies; Govt Grants Amnesty To Kenyans Who Joined Russian Military After Moscow Ends Recruitment; 15 Kenyans Evacuated From Iran Arrive Nairobi
Kenya grants amnesty to citizens who joined Russian military after Moscow agrees to stop recruiting
Capital FM reports Kenyan government will grant amnesty to nationals who joined Russian military operations in Ukraine following agreement with Moscow to end recruitment of Kenyans.
15 Kenyans evacuated from Iran via Turkey as Middle East conflict escalates
KBC and Capital FM report government evacuated 15 Kenyans from Iran through diplomatic missions amid escalating regional tensions, multi-agency team activates emergency protocols across Kenya missions.
Meru religious leaders condemn escalating banditry as DP Kindiki confirms KDF deployment to four counties
KBC reports clergy join political leaders condemning banditry in Meru northern rangelands following lives lost and livestock stolen, as multi-agency forces including KDF operate across Meru, Isiolo, Samburu, Laikipia.
DRIVING THE DAY
SUMMARY: Kenya Police Service on 22 March launched an investigation after two street boys in Kericho reported digging a mass grave at Makaburini Cemetery where 14 mutilated bodies in bags were buried, with authorities seeking additional witnesses and planning exhumation to identify victims and verify claims — the discovery underscores persistent accountability gaps in Kenya's security and justice sectors despite ongoing human rights scrutiny. The government on 22 March announced it will grant amnesty to Kenyan citizens who joined Russian military operations in Ukraine after Moscow agreed to stop recruiting Kenyans and place Kenya on a "stop list," resolving a contentious bilateral issue that emerged in 2024. Fifteen Kenyans evacuated from Iran amid escalating Middle East conflict arrived in Nairobi on 22 March after coordinated repatriation through diplomatic missions in Iran and Türkiye, marking Kenya's first confirmed casualty evacuations from the three-week-old U.S.-Israel war with Tehran. Religious leaders in Meru County on 22 March condemned escalating banditry and cattle rustling incidents that have claimed lives and livestock in the northern rangelands, calling on the national government to sustain Deputy President Kithure KINDIKI's multi-agency operation announced 21 March deploying Kenya Defence Forces units with orders to "use all weapons at their disposal to neutralize all threats." END SUMMARY.
