Murkomen denounces BBC child sex exploitation documentary as fake

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has dismissed the BBC documentary on child sex exploitation, describing the exposé as a “hoax.”

Murkomen made the remarks days after the British broadcaster aired a shocking film that “exposed” human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of minors in the country. In the documentary, two women confessed to illegally introducing underage girls into the sex industry in the transit town of Maai Mahiu, leading to international outrage and calls for action.

However, the Interior Cabinet Secretary, responding to questions from Members of Parliament at the National Assembly, rejected the claims, labelling the documentary as a fabrication.

“We are confirming that the entire report was fake because the people who were interviewed were not underage. That is not to say we are not grappling with issues of human trafficking, but as far as the BBC documentary is concerned – it was a hoax, planned and executed in a manner to portray that there were underage girls going through sexual exploitation, while in reality, the individuals involved were fully aware they were not minors,” Murkomen told the House.

The CS raised further suspicions about the BBC’s credibility, questioning the role of financial incentives in the production of the film. He noted that the promise of financial rewards for sharing information could have been a tactic used by the news outlet to obtain a sensational story.

“Why would someone promise financial reward in case information is going to be shared? Was financial reward intended to get a good story that can be aired by BBC? Or was the financial reward part of the tricks used by BBC to see if they can find actual young children? That remains to be unraveled,” Murkomen questioned.

Murkomen also expressed frustration over the lack of due diligence by the BBC, stating that such an explosive and sensitive topic should have been thoroughly verified before being broadcast.

“Unfortunately, the conclusions being made raise questions about an international media house like BBC and their approach to verifying their sources before airing such a very explosive story,” he added.

In the same breath, Murkomen reiterated the government’s commitment to fighting human trafficking and child exploitation.

Addressing concerns about the political neutrality of police officers, Murkomen asserted that the National Police Service (NPS) operates independently of political influence.

“The National Police Service does not arrest anyone for political reasons. The NPS is not a political party. The Inspector General of Police is not a politician, nor is the DCI. They have no political scores to settle; they simply do their job independently and constitutionally,” he stated.