Denial as a Weapon: Why Calling Child Sex Trafficking a “Hoax” Is Dangerous

When Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen dismissed the BBC documentary on child sex trafficking in Kenya as a “hoax,” he did more than challenge a report. He undermined the lived experiences of survivors, trivialized one of the most heinous crimes in human history, and signaled a disturbing willingness to prioritize political vendettas over child protection.

Murkomen claimed that the girls featured in the BBC investigation were not underage and that they had been paid — as if monetary exchange somehow negates the gravity of exploitation. His remarks come in the shadow of the BBC’s earlier “Parliament of Blood” exposé, which drew sharp political backlash. It is no secret that the government has been itching to discredit the broadcaster. But to weaponize denial against evidence of child sex trafficking is a new low. And for what? Political point-scoring? Saving face?

Child sex trafficking is not a matter of debate. It is a global crisis — documented in reports by the UN, UNICEF, Interpol, and human rights organizations. Kenya is not immune. To deny its existence within our borders is to embolden traffickers, silence survivors, and weaken the fragile trust that victims need to come forward.

The message denial sends is chilling: “Your pain is not real. Your suffering is fabricated.” For survivors, this is retraumatization. For perpetrators, it is encouragement. And for a society that desperately needs accountability, it is abandonment.

It is clear that this dismissal has less to do with facts and more to do with political rivalry. Murkomen’s comments reflect a pattern: rather than confront uncomfortable truths, leaders shoot the messenger. First the outrage over “Parliament of Blood”, now the wholesale dismissal of a documentary on trafficking. But this habit of deflection has a dangerous consequence — it normalizes silence where outrage is needed most.

Murkomen’s comments are more than reckless politics — they are dangerous. To deny child sex trafficking is to deny justice. To frame it as a hoax is to side, however unintentionally, with perpetrators over victims. Kenya deserves leaders who will protect its children, not sacrifice them on the altar of political grudges.