Kenya's National Police Service (NPS) has come out guns blazing following the release of a disturbing BBC Africa Eye documentary that exposed a horrifying child sex trafficking network operating in Maai Mahiu, Nakuru County.
The investigative piece, Madams: Exposing Kenya’s Child Sex Trade, sent shockwaves across the country with footage showing young girls, some barely 12 years old, being lured and controlled by women known as “madams” into prostitution.
BBC's team captured heartbreaking testimonies from survivors and exposed the rot along the busy Nairobi–Nakuru highway, where the girls are often left vulnerable and exploited in plain sight.
In the wake of national uproar, the police service issued a strong statement, vowing to bring every perpetrator involved to book.
A special multi-agency team was dispatched to Maai Mahiu, spearheaded by officers from the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit (AHTCPU).
Three individuals of interest have recorded statements, and rescue operations for affected girls are already underway.
“The children are our future. We must protect them at all costs,” read a part of the powerful police statement, quoting Article 53(1) of the Constitution and the Children Act (2022), laws that guarantee every child protection from abuse, neglect, harmful cultural practices, and exploitation.
PRESS STATEMENT : NPS RESPONSE TO BBC AFRICA EYE DOCUMENTARY ON CHILD EXPLOITATION AT MAAI MAHIU, NAKURU COUNTY pic.twitter.com/EvlnzwPjUm
— National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) August 6, 2025
To tighten the noose around the traffickers, cybercrime units have also been roped in, including Kenya’s forensic cybercrime lab, the first of its kind in Africa, which is linked directly to INTERPOL’s International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database.
With public anger growing over years of alleged inaction and silence from authorities, the police are urging Kenyans to help root out the vice by reporting any suspicious activity.
Tip-offs can be shared confidentially via emergency lines 999, 112, or WhatsApp hotline 0709 570 000.
The BBC documentary not only raised questions about the safety of children in Kenya but has also reopened conversations around the deep-rooted failure to protect the most vulnerable.