The Kenyan government has issued a strong response after a Russian national allegedly recorded and circulated intimate videos involving Kenyan women without their consent.
In a statement on February 16, the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services, through Cabinet Secretary Hanna Wendot Cheptumo, has condemned the acts and announced an urgent, coordinated government action.
CS Cheptumo stated that the Ministry had received disturbing reports that a foreign national secretly filmed and distributed private images of several Kenyan women.
She said the act violates the dignity and privacy of the women involved and goes against Articles 28 and 31 of the Constitution of Kenya, which protect personal dignity, privacy, and security.
Govt Condemns Viral Videos
According to the Ministry, the incident is considered a serious form of technology‑facilitated gender‑based exploitation.
CS Cheptumo said such violations are threats to the values of the country and stand against Kenya’s cultural values and commitment to protecting vulnerable persons.
She stated that the government has now activated what it described as a whole‑of‑government response.
“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,” read part of the statement by CS Cheptumo.
The Ministry also warned members of the public against sharing or spreading the videos, saying doing so may attract criminal liability and further harm the victims.
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CS Cheptumo said the government’s work will not stop at enforcement, as the ministry will also strengthen policy measures on online safety, digital exploitation, and the protection of women and children in both online and offline spaces.
Govt to Issue Help to Victims
CS Cheptumo said the Ministry will work with stakeholders across the cultural, tourism, hospitality, and digital sectors to enhance accountability, awareness, and prevention of such incidents.
In the statement, the CS encouraged all affected women and survivors of gender‑based violence to seek confidential support through the National Gender‑Based Violence Toll‑Free Helpline 1195.
According to the ministry, the helpline provides counselling, legal referral, psychosocial support, and protection services.
The statement stressed that the government stands in solidarity with all affected women.
CS Cheptumo reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening national frameworks that prevent exploitation and protect the rights of every Kenyan.
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She said the government will continue to promote responsible digital behaviour and enforce laws that safeguard men, women, boys, and girls.
How the Russian guy Targeted and Filmed Kenyan Women
Videos showed the Russian national approaching women in public places, including malls, markets and streets, initiating conversations with compliments or casual small talk before asking for their contacts.
He invited some of the women to his rented apartment, where he continued recording the encounters using smart‑glasses technology.
No explicit scenes appeared in the circulating footage, but the recordings were widely condemned as non‑consensual and exploitative.
He secretly filmed Kenyan women and uploaded the videos to platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, with longer content reportedly hosted behind a Telegram subscription channel.
Several women featured in the clips later said the interactions were edited in ways that changed the meaning of what happened.
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