Secret filming expose 'madams' involved for Kenya child-sex trade

One BBC Africa Eye investigation don expose how women, wey dey known as "madams", don chook children as young as 13 into prostitution for Kenya.

For di transit town of Maai Mahiu, for Kenya Rift Valley, trucks and lorries dey waka di streets day and night dey transport goods and pipo across di kontri into Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, plus di Democratic Republic of Congo.

Di key transport hub, wey be just 50km (31 miles) east of di capital, Nairobi, dey known for prostitution, but na also breeding ground for child sexual abuse.

Two undercover investigators, wey pose as sex workers wey wan learn how to become madams, bin spend months earlier dis year penetrating di sex trade for di town.

Dia secret filming reveal two different women wey tok say dem know say e dey illegal and dem introduce di investigators to underage girls for di sex industry.

Di BBC bin give all dia evidence to di Kenyan police for March. Di BBC believe say di madam don move location since den. Di police say dem no fit trace di women and young girls we feem. To date, dem neva make any arrests.

To declare pesin guilty dey rare for Kenya. For successful prosecutions, police need testimonies from children. Often vulnerable minors wey dey too afraid to testify.

BBC small-small footage wey dem feem for di street in di dark bin show one woman, wey call herself Nyambura, she dey laugh as she say: "Dem still be children, so e dey easy to manipulate dem wit just sweets."

"Prostitution na cash crop for Maai Mahiu; di truckers basically dey ginger am. And dat na how we benefit. Dem don normalise am for Maai Mahiu," she explain, and add say she get one girl as young as 13, wey already don dey "work" for six months.

"E become very risky wen you dey deal wit minors. You no fit just bring dem out openly in town. I dey only sneak dem comot at night in great secrecy," Nyambura tok.

Di act of prostitution by consenting adult no be criminal offence under Kenyan national law but many municipal by-laws don ban am. E no dey banned for Maai Mahiu, wey be part of Nakuru county.

Under di penal code, e dey illegal to live from di profit of prostitution, either as a sex worker or third party wey dey facilitate or profit from prostitution.

Di trafficking or sale of minors under di age of 18 carry prison sentence wey range from 10 years to life.

Wen dem ask Nyambura weda di clients dey wear condoms, she say she dey usually make sure say dem use protection but some still get strong head.

"Some children wan earn more money [so dem no go use am]. Dem dey force some of dem [not to use condom]," she tok.

For anoda meeting, she bin lead di undercover investigator go one house wia three young girls sidon on top one chair, anoda one sidon on one hard-backed chair.

Nyambura later comot di room, wey give investigator opportunity to follow di girls tok alone.

Di girls describe say dem face sexual abuse repeatedly on a daily basis.

"Sometimes you fit have sex wit multiple pipo. Di clients go force you to do unimaginable tins," one of di girls tok.

No recent statistics dey ground on di number of children wey dey forced to work for Kenya sex industry.

For 2012, di US State Department Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Kenya bin cite estimate of 30,000, one figure dem get from Kenyan govment and now defunct non-governmental organisation (NGO), Eradicate Child Prostitution for Kenya.

Oda studies focus on specific areas, especially along di kontri coast – wey dey known for dia tourist resorts. One 2022 report for di NGO Global Fund to End Modern Slavery reveal say dem dey force almost 2,500 children into sex work for Kilifi and Kwale counties.

One second undercover investigator bin gain di trust of one woman wey call herself Cheptoo and e hold plenty meetings wit her.

She say selling young girls mean say she fit "earn a living and be comfortable".

"You carry out dis kind of business in great secrecy becos e dey illegal," she tok.

"If anyone tok say dem want young girl, I go ask dem to pay me. We also get our regulars who dey always come back for dem."

Cheptoo carry di undercover investigator go one club to meet four of her girls. Di youngest tok say she be 13 years old. Di odas say dem be 15.

She tok about di profit she dey make from dem, she say for every 3,000 Kenyan shillings ($23; £17) di girls dey deliver, her share na 2,500 shillings ($19; £14).

For anoda meeting, for one house for Maai Mahiu, Cheptoo leave di undercover investigator alone wit two underage girls.

One of dem tell her say on average, she dey have sex wit five men a day.

Wen dem ask wetin go happun if she no gree to have sex without condom, she say she no get choice.

"I have to [have sex without a condom]. Dem go drive me comot, and I no get anywia to run to. I be orphan."

Kenya sex industry dey complex, na dark world wia both men and women get hand in facilitating child prostitution.

E no dey clear how many children dey forced into sex work for Maai Mahiu, but for dis small town of around 50,000, pipo e dey easy to find dem.

One former sex worker, wey pipo sabi as "Baby Girl", now dey provide protection for Maai Mahiu for girls wey escape sexual abuse.

Di 61-year-old bin work for di sex industry for 40 years – she bin first see herself on di streets in her early twenties. She bin dey pregnant and she get three young children wit her afta she run leave her husband sake of domestic violence.

For her wooden kitchen table for one bright parlour for di front of her house, she introduce BBC to four young women wey all of dem dey forced into sex work by madams for Maai Mahiu wen dem be children.

Each girl share similar stories of broken families or abuse at home – dem come to Maai Mahiu to escape, only to dey violently abused again.

Michelle describe how, at 12 years old, she lost her parents to HIV and dem drive her to di streets wia she meet one man who give her somewhere to live and begin dey sexually abuse her.

"I literally get to pay am in kind for educating me. I reach my limit, but I no get anybody," she tok.

Two years later, one woman wey turn out to be a madam for Maai Mahiu bin approach her and force her into sex work.

Lilian, wey be 19 now, also lose her parents at a very young age. Dem leave her wit one uncle wey feem her for shower and sell di images give im friends. Di mata soon turn into rape.

"Dat na my worst day. I be12 then."

Wen she escape, one truck driver wey carry her go Maai Mahiu bin rape her. Like Michelle, na for here one woman approach her and force her into sex work.

Violence, neglect and abuse fuel these young women short lives.

Now, dem dey live for Baby Girl house, and dem dey learn new skills - two dey for photography studio and two for beauty salon.

Dem also dey assist Baby Girl wit her outreach work for di community.

Nakuru county get one of di highest rates of HIV infection for Kenya, and Baby Girl, supported by US aid agency USAID, dey on a mission to educate pipo about di risks of unprotected sex.

She get office for Karagita Community Health Centre, near Lake Naivasha, wia she dey provide pipo wit condoms and advice.

However, wit US President Donald Trump decision to pull USAID funding, her outreach programmes dey about to stop.

"From September we no go get work again," she tell BBC World Service, and add say she dey worried about di young women and girls wey dey depend on her.

"You see how vulnerable dis children be. How dem go survive on dia own? Dem still dey heal."

US govment no respond to comments for dis investigation about di likely impact of dia funding cuts. USAID bin officially close last month.

For now, Lilian focus na on learning photography and recovering from abuse.

"I no dey fear again, becos Baby Girl dey dia for me," she tok. "She dey help us bury di past."



Nyambura (left) and Cheptoo (right) tell undercover investigators how dem expose children to prostitution for Maai Mahiu - wey be trucking hub