A sex and drugs party planned for Saturday is just the tip of the iceberg of underground activities taking root in Nairobi.
The country reacted first with surprise, almost treating the advertisement for the event, which was to take place in Kileleshwa, Nairobi, as a hoax, but later realised it was serious.
“No rules, no regulations. Carry your own high whether herbs, pills – everything is legal,” announced the Project X poster.
Unsuspecting youths, mostly from the middle-class and the rich neighbourhoods in the capital, are lured into these parties, get into hard drugs and wanton sex orgies and before they realise it, have been secretly filmed.
Kenya Film and Classification Board Chief Executive Officer Ezekiel Mutua said the criminal network that organises such events preys on underage youths who are then subjected to extortion.
“Since they know most of these youths come from rich families, the criminals then threaten to publish the pornographic films if a certain amount of money is not paid to them,” said Mr Mutua.
The problem is that the victims resort to stealing from their rich parents to pay the ransom or risk having their private films published by the international porn ring without their consent.
Sadly, the the criminals are well-known celebrities, activists and unscrupulous filmmakers who intoxicate the youth and in their stupor prompt them to act in illegal pornographic films.
According to Mutua, most of these activities are funded by foreigners to promote sex and hard drugs among the youth.
“They are promoting an obsession with sex and drugs. The net effect of this is diseases, teenage pregnancies, school dropout and crime. Then the same foreign agencies will be here pretending to help us sort out the mess,” said Mutua, who only two weeks ago had his team ban a music video promoting homosexuality.
“We have thrown moral values through the window and unless we take corrective action, the consequences will be too dire to contemplate,” said Mutua.
He made a rallying call to parents, religious leaders and institutions of learning to help promote integrity and moral values.
“We want this debate on the pulpits, in places of worship, dining rooms, boardrooms, schools and everywhere,” he said.
