The government has initiated a multi-agency investigation into the alleged abuse and exploitation of Kenyan women by a Russian national following viral reports and videos of the individual circulating online.
In a statement released on Monday, February 16, the Ministry of Gender, Culture, and Children Services, through Cabinet Secretary Hanna Wendot Cheptumo, condemned the videos, which appeared to have been filmed without the women’s consent, as she announced coordinated government action.
The Ministry of Gender, Culture, and Children Services strongly condemns the disturbing incident in which a foreign national is alleged to have secretly recorded and circulated intimate images of Kenyan women without their consent,” the Ministry stated.
According to Cheptumo, filming women without their consent was a direct violation of personal dignity and privacy, which is guaranteed in the constitution.
For much of the weekend, the internet was filled with videos of the Russian national’s numerous encounters with women, some of whom were Kenyan.
In the videos, the foreigner approaches the women before a brief interaction concludes with coercion to accompany him. What happens afterward remains unclear, though several individuals claiming to be victims of the foreigner have come forward with different accounts.
The CS, in her statement, confirmed that investigative agencies had been instructed to pursue the matter with urgency, with collaboration with foreign prosecutorial agencies also being sought.
The statement continued, “The Government of Kenya is coordinating a whole-of-government response.”
“Relevant security, investigative and prosecutorial agencies have been directed to pursue the matter with urgency, including collaboration with international authorities given the cross-border nature of the case. Any individual found culpable will face the full force of Kenyan law under the Penal Code, the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, and all relevant statutes protecting women and children.”
Earlier, where the foreigner recorded encounters with women and circulated the content online.
The Ministry insisted that such acts constitute a serious criminal offense and a violation of privacy and human dignity, directing the relevant Ghanaian authorities to immediately investigate the matter.
According to unverified reports, it is believed that the man might have used smart glasses, possibly Ray-Ban Meta glasses, to capture encounters without women’s knowledge.