Finland journalist exposes Kenya’s alleged secret disciplinary camps
Finland journalist exposes Kenya’s alleged secret disciplinary camps
Kenya has emerged as a key destination for controversial disciplinary camps where children sent from Europe, including Finland and Sweden, are subjected to severe abuse under the guise of rehabilitation, a new investigation by Finland’s public broadcaster Yle has revealed.
The investigation, conducted by Yle journalist Wali Hashi, found that some Somali parents living in Finland secretly send their children to institutions in Kenya and Somalia, where the youths are chained, beaten, isolated, and denied contact with the outside world.
Hashi gained access to the camps by posing as a father seeking “discipline” for his son, allowing him to secretly record footage from institutions operating in both Somalia and Kenya, including camps that house minors from Europe.
At one disciplinary institution in Kenya, Hashi encountered a teenage boy who had been sent from Stockholm, Sweden, while camp administrators confirmed that they had previously hosted youths from Finland as well.
The camps are commonly presented to parents as religious or moral rehabilitation centres, but video evidence obtained by the journalist showed young people chained to beds, beaten with sticks and pipes, and punished with food deprivation.
Former detainees claimed that the abuse in Kenyan camps often began immediately after parents left, with staff using violence to enforce strict obedience and religious practices.
One Finnish citizen, recounted being sent to a disciplinary camp in Kenya at the age of 12, where he spent years enduring routine beatings and psychological abuse.
“They used wooden sticks until they broke, or water pipes because those wouldn’t break,” the victim said, adding that punishments were arbitrary and never explained.
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The investigation revealed that parents were often persuaded by members of the diaspora community that sending children to Kenya is a solution to behavioural issues such as truancy, petty crime, or adopting what is perceived as an overly Western lifestyle.
This practice is known in Somali communities as dhaqan celis, meaning “return to culture,” but the investigation shows that it has evolved into a profitable cross-border business exploiting parental fears.
At some camps, families paid hundreds of euros per month, a significant income in the Kenyan and Somali context, creating financial incentives to maintain the institutions despite allegations of abuse.
Kenya’s role has drawn international attention following testimony from victims who were detained in a similar institution and later received assistance from foreign embassies while in Kenya.
Diplomatic officials based in Kenya, including those from Norway and Denmark, confirmed that they have encountered multiple traumatized youths who escaped or were rescued from such camps.
Human rights advocates warn that the existence of these camps in Kenya raises serious legal and child-protection concerns, calling for closer scrutiny by Kenyan authorities to ensure that no institutions operating within the country are violating children’s rights under the guise of discipline or religious instruction.
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