• Ten women and one man have been arrested in Mombasa County while shooting pornography.
• During the raid, police recovered 16 laptops, 10 computers, 9 dildos (artificial penis), vibrators and other assorted items.
Image: ANDREW KASUKU
Ten women and one man have been arrested in Mombasa County while shooting pornographic films.
Police boss Johnson Ipara told journalists the 11 were on Friday morning rounded up at one of the posh estates in Nyali
He said police have launched investigations and the women will be arraigned in court.
During the raid, police recovered 16 laptops, 10 computers, 9 dildos, vibrators and other assorted items.
The raid at Simba Estate, a private apartment, was carried by officers from Nyali Police Station and Kenya Film and Classification Board officials.
Ipara said that the raid was conducted following investigations and intelligence reports of sexual acts in the area.
The 11 have been arraigned at Shanzu Law Courts before Senior Principal Magistrate Florence Macharia and charged with trafficking obscene publications contrary to section 181 (1) (a) of the penal code.
"Merciline Atieno Onyango on the 10th day of July 2019 at Simba Estate house No. 17 in Nyali sub-county for the purpose of trade converged obscene publication namely transmission of pornographic video streaming tending to corrupt morals," read part of the charge sheet.
Onyango is said to be the team leader of the 10 women aged between 20-40 years.
According to the police, Onyango runs an online webcam platform called “Chat Bate” in conjunction with an international media company called Multi Media LLC.
However, police asked for five more days to conclude their investigation arguing that the suspects might interfere with the investigation if released on bond.
"The suspect might log in into their accounts and erase the crucial evidence. The exhibits recovered also need to be taken to cybercrime unit at the DCI headquarters in Nairobi for analysis," police argued.
Macharia gave the police up to Tuesday, July 16.
"The suspects should be detained at Nyali Police Stations and be brought back to the court on July 16 in the afternoon to proceed with the matter," she said.
The other ten suspects include Mariam Hamza Makbul, Dolly Kanana, Laureen Achieng Ariwo, Salma Makeri Njeri, Knight Aluoch Otieno and Faith Mbesa Mwatani.
Others are Diana Wairimu Muthoni, Anita Mburu Wanjiru, Christine Mueni Mutua and Enock Elisha Ochieng.
They will be detained in Nyali Police Station until Tuesday next week when the court will rule whether they will be released on bond or not.
Mombasa KFCB boss Bonaventure Kiko said that that the agency has been following on illicit sexual related activities since 2013 when other 11 women were arrested in Nyali shooting pornographic acts with dogs.
Other 12 women from Nepal were arrested in the same estate in clubs on suspicion of sex trade.
Acting pornography is classified in the same penal code and category as prostitution, which is outlawed in major cities in Kenya.