Online child sexual exploitation increasing in Kenya, says report

NAIROBI, KENYA — 

For young people like Winnie Muyam, accessing digital platforms was her way to connect with friends and entertainment, until last year when the 17-year-old said strangers began to chat with her.

"They started talking to me as a friend, telling me how beautiful I was," she said. "From there they started sending pictures. They wanted to see my private parts and I felt so bad."

The teenager said her efforts to flag her abusers through the platform's reporting tools were futile. Her complaint was not acted upon.

While Muyam was able to avoid exploitation, up to 13% of minors online have been exploited or abused, according to a survey by Child Fund International and Africa Child forum.

A majority of the targeted children are 12 to 17 years old. The fund’s child advocacy and protection manager, Eunice Kilundo, said perpetrators try to play on their victims’ desperation for affection.

"They will pose as a very good friend," said Kilundo. "They even give children rewards and lure them into going deeper and deeper up to the point where probably they may want children to send them their nudes and all that."

In a fast-changing digital world, parents, caregivers, communities and governments face new challenges in keeping children safe, UNICEF said.

Researchers say a low capacity to investigate and prosecute online sexual exploitation in Africa creates a fertile ground for potential offenders. So Kenyan authorities are training officers in the justice system to handle such cases.

Kilundo said concerted efforts to combat such abuse will go a long way.

"It's a high time everybody in the children sector — or even outside the children sector, the corporate, government, everyone — to demonstrate commitment and concern," said Kilundo.

Kenyan law prohibits any sexual involvement with children under 18 years old, including online, without permission of a parent or guardian.

Dennis Otieno, senior counsel for Kenya’s Federation of Female Lawyers, told VOA that although such crimes can be prosecuted, some caregivers are oblivious to them and making them aware is crucial.

"The report rate for such cases is very low," said Otieno. "Many people still do not understand there are crimes that can be committed through social media."

More than 22 million people in Kenya have access to the internet, according to national data, and with increasing access to digital platforms, authorities believe programs such as this training will help keep children online safe.