People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua has condemned Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen for dismissing the recent BBC documentary on child sex trafficking in Maai Mahiu, calling his remarks “reckless and heartless.”

Murkomen had criticised the BBC Africa Eye documentary titled Madams: Exposing Kenya’s Child Sex Trade, claiming it damaged Kenya’s reputation and that some of the girls in the film may have lied about their ages in exchange for supposed sponsorship from the journalists.

The documentary, released on August 4, 2025, exposed widespread child exploitation and trafficking involving girls as young as 13.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, Murkomen said investigators had not yet made any arrests and were still tracing witnesses. He also suggested that the BBC crew encouraged minors to lie for the sake of the story.

“Our investigations show some of the girls falsified their age to qualify for the promised sponsorship by the BBC team. No arrests have been made so far, but investigations are ongoing,” Murkomen said.

He warned that police may take action against the journalists behind the documentary and insisted that the documentary was based on misinformation.

In response, Martha Karua said Murkomen’s remarks were dismissive of victims’ suffering and dangerous for the fight against child exploitation.

“To suggest these heartbreaking stories are fabricated or that the children were paid is to deny their pain and dismiss the horrific abuse they have endured,” said Karua.

She added that attacking journalists instead of addressing the abuse only serves to silence victims and undermine justice.

“The BBC, like any credible investigative body, has a responsibility to expose wrongdoing. Attacking the messenger instead of addressing the message is a grave disservice to the victims,” she said.

Karua urged the government to work with both local and international agencies to properly investigate the matter and bring perpetrators to justice, instead of engaging in denial.

“The lives of Kenya’s children are not a public relations issue. They are the future of our nation, and protecting them must be a priority,” said Karua. “Anything less is complicity.”