Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Gender has condemned the circulation of a video depicting a woman in a vulnerable position at a Nairobi entertainment venue, promising action against those responsible. The incident has drawn sharp online backlash and demands for accountability.
The Ministry of Gender, Culture, and Children Services has issued a warning against the spread of videos and images showing a woman in a vulnerable state at a Nairobi entertainment venue. In a statement on her official X account on Sunday, January 18, Cabinet Secretary Hanna Wendot Cheptumo stated that disseminating such material breaches an individual's dignity, privacy, and bodily autonomy as protected by the Constitution.
According to the CS, the circulation of such content and associated commentary inflicts further psychological harm on the victim. "I have taken note of a disturbing video circulating in the public domain involving the recording and dissemination of images of a woman in a vulnerable condition within a Nairobi entertainment establishment," the CS said.
"The Government remains fully committed to the protection of human dignity and to the advancement of a society founded on respect, accountability and the rule of law, both offline and online," she added.
The CS assured that the ministry is collaborating with security agencies to investigate the matter and hold accountable those who recorded and posted the video on social media. The footage depicts the woman with another man, both seemingly intoxicated, with the man making inappropriate physical advances toward her, which she appears reluctant to have exposed to cameras and other patrons.
The video's online spread has provoked widespread condemnation, with many Kenyans viewing it as a form of gender-based violence. Nairobi County Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria confirmed that two individuals connected to the incident have been arrested, while the primary suspect who filmed the video remains at large.
Mosiria described the video as unacceptable, amounting to cyberbullying and abuse, illegal, and a violation of the woman's dignity. "To those insulting me and saying that Mosiria is defending the lady instead of the boy child, understand this clearly: what the boy did was illegal, and no girl deserves to be treated that way. Two wrongs do not make a right," Mosiria said.
"We all have children, and it is painful to witness such situations. Imagine going online as a parent, brother, or sister and finding your own sister trending illegally, her dignity stripped away for the whole world to see," he added.
The CS emphasized the need for stronger regulations to ensure that photos and videos taken in entertainment spots, where people may be vulnerable, adhere to ethical and legal standards.