TikTok had always been a place for Nzumari to have fun and pass the time. She thought it was simply a platform where she could make friends online.
From the comfort of her bedroom, Nzumari, whose name has been changed because she is a minor, posted dance videos, watched other creators and liked their content, slowly building a community of sorts. What she did not know is that among those watching her videos were people waiting for the right moment to strike.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the three suspects first complimented Nzumari’s videos before asking her to move the conversation to WhatsApp. From there, the conversations turned romantic and shortly afterwards, tragic.
The suspects invited Nzumari to Ruai, Nairobi, where she believed she was going to have fun. After she agreed to meet them, they allegedly led her to a secluded area where what began as an ordinary encounter turned into a terrifying ordeal involving sexual violence and robbery.
The three allegedly gave Nzumari alcohol before leading her to an area with quarries in Ruai, where they turned against her. They took her phone and demanded her M-Pesa PIN, which they allegedly used to transfer money from her account. They then threatened her mother, demanding money and warning that they would throw Nzumari into one of the quarries if she did not comply.
Eventually, they abandoned her in an unfamiliar area, distressed and alone.
A forensic trail led detectives to the three suspects, the DCI said, adding that preliminary investigations had established that they allegedly operated an anonymous TikTok page, using it to initiate contact with victims before arranging physical meetings.
In some cases, including Nzumari’s, victims were allegedly forced to transfer money via M-Pesa to accounts controlled by the suspects, while others were robbed of their mobile phones and other valuables.
Emanuel Bosire Arisa and Brian Gatheru Nderitu, both 21, and a minor are in police custody over the crimes. Six mobile phones were recovered from the suspects alongside two hooded jackets allegedly used to conceal their identities while committing the crimes, detectives said.
The three suspects “have since been positively identified by five victims in separate incidents reported in Buruburu, Embakasi and Ruai”, the DCI said, adding that the case against them points to a “potentially wider criminal network”.
Ruai Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer Henry Kinyua said police had received six reports with a similar pattern in Ruai since July. Another case was reported in Imara Daima, while two others were reported in Buruburu.
The pattern emerging from the cases mirrors a wider concern about the vulnerability of children and young people online.
Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters on Kiambu Road.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation
A recent report by UNICEF indicated that social media was among the factors contributing to the abuse of children online. More worrying, the report found that 67.3 per cent of children who experienced abuse or were coerced into doing things they did not want to do online did not report the incidents.
Of those who remained silent, 25.5 per cent did not know where to report the abuse. Another 22.1 per cent were too embarrassed to report it, while 14.6 per cent feared getting into trouble if they spoke about what had happened.
The figures provide a disturbing backdrop to the cases now being investigated by Nairobi detectives, where the danger often begins not with an obvious threat, but with a seemingly harmless online interaction.
Mr Kinyua said the pattern in the Nairobi cases was strikingly similar, with victims first approached on social media, drawn into conversations and eventually into romantic relationships.
“After they get the trust, the person invites them for a sleepover or to have fun ... But once the victims come, they turn out to be robbers; they rob victims and, very unfortunately, some are gang raped,” Mr Kinyua explained.
Of the three suspects arrested, Mr Kinyua said one had allegedly been using his younger brother to pick up victims. His age, police believe, made the victims less likely to suspect that they were walking into a trap.
According to Mr Kinyua, part of the answer lies in the carefully curated lives displayed on social media. One of the suspects, he said, posted pictures and content portraying a lavish lifestyle. That image, he said, helped make him appear attractive and trustworthy.
The three suspects have been detained for 21 days as detectives gather evidence. Investigations are also seeking to establish whether they are part of a wider network targeting Kenyans online.
The cases have opened an uncomfortable conversation about how easily social media can become a hunting ground for predators.
Winnie Ndung’u, a clinical psychologist who specialises in the mental health of children and adolescents, said young people can struggle to recognise danger because their brains are still developing.
“They take advantage of the fact that the child’s brain is not fully mature to make concrete decisions so they do not know what is too much ... And they start to entice them with things they like before getting to the abuse,” she said.
Between the ages of 16 and 21, Ms Ndung’u explained, young people are also navigating a period of self-discovery. For some, that search for identity and acceptance can extend into the digital world.
“If a child is coming from a point where they do not have safety at home, where they can communicate with a parent without being yelled at, they will seek validation elsewhere,” she said.
For parents, the question is increasingly becoming less about whether their children are online and more about what they are doing there.
Some, like Yvonne Odhiambo, a Nairobi resident, say parents need to pay attention to changes in their children’s behaviour.
“I think we should have an age limit for when children can access phones,” she argued, “since social media is a big thing.”
Others, like Geoffrey Mwale, believe children are being exposed to adult spaces too early.
“Parents have dropped their guard,” he said.
The danger that lies in social media may not always announce itself as danger. Sometimes, it arrives as a compliment. Sometimes, as a WhatsApp message. And sometimes, as someone promising a good time.
“We as parents must accept that we must take responsibility. These children are ours. That unfettered access to social media ought to be controlled,” urged Mr Kinyua.
He added that criminals often avoid using phone numbers registered in their own names, making it harder for investigators to trace them.
“In this case, there is none who uses a number registered with their own ID,” he said.
