Kipchumba Murkomen Under Fire for Claiming BBC Exposé on Sexual Exploitation in Maai Mahiu Is Fake

• Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has stirred the hornet's nest after dismissing the findings of the BBC on sexual exploitation of young girls in Maai Mahiu
• The documentary spotlighted a dark network that supplies long-haul truckers with young females for pleasure
• Murkomen said the exposé staged informers, arguing that no young girl was interviewed; the internet seized the moment to "cook" him
• But the BBC told TUKO.co.ke that the matter was served to the police long before the documentary was released, denying the CS's assertion

Interior Cabinet Secretary has elicited anger among Kenyans after trashing an exposé by the BBC that documented the exploitation of young girls in Maai Mahiu, Nakuru county.

The 27-minute documentary spotlighted the ongoing business of young females being trafficked to long-haul truckers passing by that route.

It sparked rage among the Kenyan public, with the National Police Service (NPS) announcing the deployment of investigators to go after the networks driving the notorious trade and rescue the exploited minors.

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What CS Murkomen said about BBC exposé

During his question time in the National Assembly on Wednesday afternoon, August 13, Murkomen dismissed the exposé, claiming that the informers therein were paid actors.

According to him, the alleged victims were not underage children, as the documentary had suggested.

"We are confirming that the entire report was fake because the people who were interviewed were not underage, and that's why. I went the whole length to read their names, their pseudonyms, and who they are, what they do and why, what was the motivating factor when they were posing as children," he said,

The CS, however, acknowledged that such cases might exist, only that the particular BBC piece was presumably 'fake'.

Murkomen said the state law enforcement agents have always been keen to deal with the cases of sexual exploitation among children long before he became CS.

"That is not to say there may be no cases of sexual exploitation of young people in the country. The security agencies, including the anti-trafficking unit, have done tremendous work since the days of Gilbert Deya to make sure that these incidents are managed," he said.

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The CS's pronouncements did not sit well with Kenyans.

How Kenyans got back at CS Murkomen for trashing BBC exposé

They accused him of being insensitive in the face of serious issues regarding the security and dignity of the vulnerables in society.

"Not even children have the mercy of the government! What am I saying? Your boss released pedophiles back into society. I can’t wait for you all to go," lamented Nyandia Gachago.

"If tone deafness were a university, Kipchumba Murkomen would have been its vice chancellor," said Edwin Rigwi.

"Kenyan children are not safe under this regime, but someone was arguing with me that we need more cops! Look at who leads this ministry," said Justine Wanda.

"God, I just don't know how it feels watching from that other side," said Yvonne Buluma.

"Anything this govt denies, you know it is a part of. What do you gain by denying this Kipchumba Murkomen? Unless the question changes to what do you lose by not denying?Anyway, 2 years left," said Victor Nate.

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"This government is full of people who are cray cray...A band of mad men," said Puree Kamande.

How did the BBC respond to Murkomen?

The international media outlet, in a correspondence with TUKO.co.ke, affirmed that its journalistic works are guided by integrity and set principles.

The press team shot down Murkomen's claims that the informers in the documentary were contracted gainfully and coached to tell lies.

"For clarity, none of the contributors featured in this film were paid, offered payment or ‘coached’ in any way. As clearly stated in the film, the survivors of abuse who were interviewed were all over 18 and recounted experiences of abuse that occurred when they were underage. We are thankful to the survivors for their brave contributions," the press team said.

According to the BBC, the evidence gathered in the course of the documentary's production was served to the police in March this year, long before the documentary was published.

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"As detailed in the film, we originally handed the evidence gathered during the investigation to the Kenyan police in March 2025, in which perpetrators of crimes against children were clearly identified, as were the victims who were in need of urgent assistance," the press team added.

When the BBC rattled government spokesperson

It is not uncommon for the BBC to have run-ins with the Kenyan government bureaucrats.

A few years back, government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura faulted the British media giant for a piece it had published about Ruto's regime.

The BBC sharply criticised President William Ruto in a headline that read: “William Ruto: The ‘tax collector’ president sparking Kenyan anger.”

The article focused on the controversial tax policies introduced by Ruto's administration, portraying them as burdensome and exploitative.

The piece triggered a strong reaction from Mwaura, who issued a statement purporting to counter the BBC's piece with what he said were facts.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke