NAIROBI, Kenya — Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo has condemned a Russian national accused of secretly filming Kenyan women and posting the clips online, calling for his arrest and prosecution.
The controversy erupted after videos circulated on TikTok showing the man, identified in online posts as Yaytseslav Trahov, approaching random women in public spaces and persuading them to accompany him to a private location.
The footage shared online captures the encounters up to the point of agreement but does not show what transpired afterward.
Odhiambo termed his conduct a serious breach of privacy and dignity.
“I wonder what the women implicated in the Russian criminal fiasco are going through with their faces all over social media. I hope the guy is arrested and jailed,” she said on Sunday, February 15.
The legislator argued that recording and publishing individuals without consent could amount to criminal conduct under Kenya’s data protection and cybercrime laws.
The Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act criminalises the unauthorised publication of intimate images, while the Data Protection Act safeguards personal data and privacy.
However, Odhiambo also challenged Kenyan women to reflect on what she described as a tendency to lower their guard when approached by foreigners perceived to hold a higher social status.
“We must decolonize the minds that make us believe that some races are superior. Secondly, even though we live in a free world, self-respect is still paramount,” she said.
The incident has triggered a heated debate online.
Some Kenyans questioned why the women agreed to visit the man’s residence, especially amid rising public concern over femicide and violence against women.
Others cautioned against victim-blaming, arguing that the focus should remain on consent and the legality of secretly filming and publishing content.
Some social media users suggested that the man may have sought companionship and that no evidence had emerged of physical harm.
Still, critics maintained that the non-consensual recording and dissemination of videos could constitute exploitation.
Further online material indicated that the same individual engaged in similar conduct in South Africa and Ghana, raising questions about cross-border enforcement of cybercrime laws.
