60 Cases Daily: Kenya Faces Rising Sexual Extortion of Children

A new report has revealed a sharp rise in online sexual exploitation of children in Kenya.

The study by Equality Now, based on interviews with girls and women aged 14 to 36 in Mombasa, Kilifi, Nakuru, Kisii, Kiambu and Nairobi, documents serious cases of deception, coercion and trafficking. Survivors described being approached with promises of education or employment, only to face blackmail, sexual pressure and abuse. Names of victims and perpetrators were changed to protect identities.

One case involves Amina, 17, who was contacted on Facebook by a man offering work on the condition that she send intimate photos. After she complied, he threatened her and forced her into sexual acts in exchange for the supposed job. 

Her experience reflects a broader pattern in which abusers use social media and messaging apps to exploit young people who are unaware of online risks or facing economic hardship. The report identifies three main forms of digital abuse: image-based sexual violence, such as the non-consensual sharing of intimate images and deepfakes; technology-facilitated sex trafficking, often disguised as job or migration opportunities; and online sexual coercion and extortion, in which victims are manipulated through threats. 

The study notes that perpetrators are not always strangers. In one case, Martha, 14, was handed over to paedophiles by her aunt under the pretence of schooling. Cynthia, 15, was abused by a relative and later abandoned by her family, leaving her exposed to further online grooming.

Researchers say the problem is worsened by systemic weaknesses. Survivors often face stigma, fear retaliation, or distrust authorities, which discourages them from reporting abuse. Although Kenya’s Sexual Offences Act (2006), Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act (2010), Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (2018) and Children’s Act (2022) provide legal protections, enforcement is uneven.

Digital platforms are also criticised for slow and unclear responses. Survivors reported limited support from Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok and various dating apps, despite these platforms being central to many cases. Equality Now recommends accessible and confidential reporting channels, including mobile apps and web portals, and urges stronger cooperation among survivor groups, civil society organisations and technology companies.

Law enforcement officials acknowledge the scale of the issue. Lawrence Okoth, a detective with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit, said the division receives around 60 cases each day from the US-based National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children. Although some cases have reached court, many remain pending. 

In July, detectives arrested two suspects in Mombasa, including a mother accused of using a dating site to exploit her three children, aged 13, seven and four, by producing explicit content for profit. Okoth urged the public to report suspected violations through the Fichua kwa DCI hotline (0800 722 203) or the Communications Authority’s KE-CIRT app, noting that safeguarding children requires community involvement.