This archive report was first published on 24 November 2019.
On November 19, 2019, police in Kenya received a tip about a brothel operating in Ruaka, a suburb of Nairobi. The brothel, located on the seventh floor of a luxury apartment building, was allegedly being run by a former Cabinet Secretary.
According to investigators, the brothel had been in operation for nearly a year, with underage girls being forced into prostitution. The girls, some of whom were as young as 14, were lured into the trade with promises of money and a better life.
One of the girls rescued from the brothel was a Form Two student who had disappeared from a secondary school in Kiambu two months prior. She told investigators that she had been recruited by a friend who promised her Sh10,000 per day, but was instead forced into prostitution and paid only 25% of the amount.
The brothel was equipped with sex toys and other paraphernalia, and the girls were forced to entertain up to 10 men per day. The employer provided transport and food for the girls, and even allowed them to visit the homes of their clients for a night of pleasure.
Police recovered unused condoms and sex toys from the brothel, and arrested three suspects, including a 44-year-old man believed to be the brothel manager. The suspects were released on a Sh1 million cash bail and are facing charges of sexual offenses.
The brothel was rented for Sh60,000 per month, and the former Cabinet Secretary was allegedly operating it since the beginning of the year. The police operation was carried out by officers attached to the Karuri DCI office, who posed as clients to gather evidence.
