The Embassy of the Russian Federation in Kenya disclosed that 70 fully funded scholarships are now available for Kenyan students wishing to pursue higher education in Russia, and indicated willingness to increase the number if requested by the Kenyan government.

The announcement was made by Dmitriy Charnetskiy, the embassy’s counsellor, during a luncheon that marked the return of 30 Kenyan youths who had recently taken part in a week‑long international youth festival in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Charnetskiy said the scholarships aim to broaden access to Russian higher education and build on the historic ties that have seen many Kenyan doctors and engineers trained at Russian institutions.

The embassy is also in talks with Kenya’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Youth to negotiate a mutual recognition agreement for academic credentials, which would simplify the transition for Kenyan students studying in Russia.

The scholarship launch follows the recent participation of a Kenyan delegation in the International Youth Festival, a global event that gathered about 10,000 young people from over 190 countries under the theme “Follow Your Dream—Together with Russia.”

Organisers of the festival, including the International Digital Platform, the International Humanitarian Corps of Russia and local partners such as TUUA Safaris, facilitated the Kenyan youths’ involvement, which featured workshops, cultural exchanges and observation of electoral processes in six Russian regions.