Written by Alice Njoki
On September 22, 2026, human rights activist Caleb Okumu Ngwena was charged with trafficking two children and committing sexual offences against them at the Shanzu Law Courts in Mombasa. The case follows the disappearance of two girls aged 16 and 17 from Sensera in Kiembeni, Mombasa County, on August 25. Their families reported them missing two days later, leading detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to begin a search for them. The girls were later found in Kasarani, Nairobi, and investigations led to the arrest of Ngwena, who is a human rights defender based in Mombasa.
According to the DCI, Ngwena and another man who is still being looked for took the two girls from Kiembeni and moved them to Kiambu County. Investigators said the girls were forced to stop communicating with their families and were kept in an empty room. The DCI said one of the girls was sexually assaulted while they were being held. Earlier court reports also said the girls told investigators that they had been taken in a vehicle and moved from Mombasa towards Nairobi before being taken to Kiambu.
The investigation did not end after the girls were found. Detectives have been looking at phone calls, mobile-money transactions and information from phones taken during the investigation to understand what happened and identify other people who may have been involved. Police also sought records from several M-Pesa and Airtel Money accounts and access to four mobile phones as they worked to establish the events surrounding the girls’ disappearance and rescue. The girls were also taken for medical examination and counselling after they were rescued.
Ngwena now faces two charges of trafficking in persons under Kenya’s Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act. He also faces a charge of defilement under the Sexual Offences Act and two charges of committing an indecent act with a child. The prosecution told the court that the defilement charge relates to an incident said to have happened on August 26 in Kiambu County. These laws are meant to protect children from being moved, exploited or subjected to sexual abuse.
The case has also drawn attention because Ngwena is described as a human rights defender, a role that involves advocating for people’s rights and protection. The charges before the court concern the safety and rights of two children, while the court process will determine what the evidence shows. His position as a human rights activist does not decide the outcome of the case, just as the charges themselves do not mean he has been found guilty.
In court, Ngwena denied all the charges and asked to be released on bond. The prosecution opposed the request and asked the court to consider the seriousness of the charges. The court granted him a bond of KSh800,000 with one surety, or an alternative cash bail of KSh500,000 with one contact person. The case will be mentioned again on October 1, 2026, while police continue looking for the second person linked to the case.
The case remains before the court, so the charges have not been proven. The evidence gathered by investigators, including information from the children’s accounts, phone records and other material, will form part of the process as the case continues.