Police launch investigations into Maai Mahiu child sex trade expose

Inspector General of Police Doughlas Kanja. [File, Standard]

Police have launched investigations into child sex trafficking in Maai Mahiu after a BBC Africa Eye exposé revealed underage girls were being exploited by truck drivers in the busy transit town.

A multi-agency team, including officers from the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit, has been deployed to record statements, rescue affected children, and arrest suspects.

The 27-minute documentary, Madams: Exposing Kenya’s Child Sex Trade, aired by the BBC, shows how minors are sexually exploited by truckers travelling through Maai Mahiu to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The exposé, filmed over several months, features undercover reporters interacting with two women allegedly involved in the trade.

One woman, identified only as Nyambura, confesses to luring girls into prostitution.

“They're still children, so it's easy to manipulate them by just handing them sweets,” she stated.

“Prostitution is a cash crop in Maai Mahiu; the truckers fuel it. And that's how we benefit. It's been normalised in Maai Mahiu,” added Nyambura, revealing she had a girl as young as 13, already working for six months.

The girls, some as young as 13, shared disturbing accounts of their abuse.

“Sometimes you have sex with multiple people. The clients force you to do unimaginable things,” said one girl.

The documentary also follows the work of a woman known as ‘Baby Girl’, a former sex worker of 40 years who now rescues and supports girls escaping exploitation.

She helps her community prevent HIV infections with support from the US Agency for International Development.

The BBC reported that it handed its evidence to Kenyan police in March 2025.

However, by the time the documentary aired in August, no arrests had been made.

“Immediate steps have been taken to identify, rescue and support the affected children. Investigations are ongoing with the aim of arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators,” noted National Police Service Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga, in a statement on Wednesday, August 6.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations is also involved in the probe, and police say they are committed to holding traffickers accountable.

“We must reaffirm a fundamental tenet: that our children are our future,” observed Nyaga.

Authorities also raised concerns about rising online child sexual exploitation. Kenya’s forensic cybercrime unit, the first in Africa connected to INTERPOL’s International Child Sexual Exploitation database, is now working with global partners to track and remove abusive material.

“The unit works closely with international partners to identify and rescue children depicted in exploitative online content,” explained Nyaga.

The National Police Service urged the public to report any suspected child abuse or trafficking cases through police stations.

“The NPS reaffirms its unwavering commitment to safeguarding Kenya’s children and ensuring that those who exploit or harm them face justice,” noted Nyaga.