Inside the criminal world of gold-digging sugar babies and their devious sponsors
By Mwangi MuiruriIt emerges that there exists a dangerous criminal network involving influential wealthy men who prey on young women, but not ready to become fathers in that arrangement.
In turn, there is a network of such young women whose dating mission is to hook the super-rich men and once pregnant, they use the babies to negotiate for upkeep and huge slice of their sponsor’s estates.
In between the two cartels are dangerous actors who assume the role of scouts and pairing agents for the girls on behalf of the influential men; medics on standby to execute forceful abortions, contract killers ready to murder and willy lawyers ready to launch upkeep litigations.
When the two worlds meet, in its wake are tears, death and high profile cases that literally tear apart lives, careers, families and wealth.
The chilling death of 22-year-old Dedan Kimathi University’s fourth year engineering student, Regina Wairimu, on February 12, 2023 inside a rental room in a suspected forceful abortion by two of her female friends ostensibly financed by a powerful baby daddy has laid bare this criminal enterprise that has been under the radar.
According to Mr John Gacheru, a detective from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations who is handling the case, the university student suffered death during an abortion in Kangemi estate. He said the case is now in court.
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Nairobi News’ street enquiries drew confessions from insiders who openly admitted that it is a near new normal enterprise.
“For Sh10,000, a rogue health practitioner with a private clinic and even working in a public institution can procure forced abortion where the target drugged, brought in as a patient and the abortion procured,” said a male doctor.
Once the woman is awake she is told that she had an accident and that she lost the baby.
Other women are unlucky if the baby daddy sponsoring the forceful abortion is not aware ‘it can be done safely through use of rogue professionals’ and instead recruits street toughs to have the job done.
That is the point in time when pregnant women are abducted and later found brutally murdered and their bodies dumped in all manner of odd places.
“It is no longer a matter that should continue to be ignored. We have a serious problem here and these many suspicious deaths of pregnant college girls… the many rumours of people recruiting others to murder so as to cover up infidelit,” said Gatanga Sub County Police boss Mr Lawrence Njeru.
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“The claims of using relationships as a commercial upkeep tool where the bait is a pregnancy… all these need an urgent redress plan. It is a big security issue,” he added.
Mr Njeru said it is both a moral and security issue where the men involved need to exercise humane dispositions, the women to give it due diligence and the general society to remain vigilant and say no to use abortion or murder as an act of collateral damage.
“My town is a perfect case study where some college girls are in commercial sex trade and it is a matter so grave that we have launched operations to minimise the damage,” said former Thika West Sub County Deputy County Commissioner Mr Mbogo Mathioya.
Mr Mathioya said it is difficult to confront the issue holistically since most of the women involved are over 18 years and nothing inhibits them from having consensual sexual relationships with adult men of whatever economic, political and social standings and of whichever age.
“What we do as security agents is to raid the dens they use to progress those relationships and once we establish that crime has been committed as collateral damage for pregnancies conceived, we apply the rule of law with all firmness deserved,” Mr Mathioya said.
Murang’a South Deputy County Commissioner Mr Gitonga Murungi said some of the crimes committed in these sexual unions are very traumatising.
“We keep reading media stories about suspected murders of women and their unborn babies as the powerful fathers seek to conceal evidence of infidelity. These stories are gross and unacceptable,” he said.
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Mr Murungi said the government has proved that it has the willpower to confront the issue given that there are ongoing court cases against influential people suspected of scheming murder as cover up to their sexual promiscuity.
Pastor Lucy Kega of the Christ Is The Answer Ministries (Citam) laments that it has reached a point where women must realise that they are putting their lives in danger by pursuing sex for gain with powerful men.
“Girls, who said you must have sponsors? Who said you cannot survive with the little resources that you have today? Why can’t you be considerate of your parents and loved ones as you make your choices? And you men, why do to other people’s children what you cannot do to yours or wouldn’t like them to go through?” she posed.
“So many lives are being lost for not living morally. The sooner we make it our business to point out this evil, the better. Otherwise we will know nothing but anguish as parents’ investment in their girls’ education ends up at the graveside.”
Kiambu County Woman Representative Ms Anne wa Muratha attributed this trend to young women who desire good life without working for it and the demand being filled by wealthy men who treat them as sex objects.
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“Let all human life, include that of unborn babies, be respected. No one should die in the name of covering up immorality,” Ms Muratha said.
However, it is encouraging that the society has also shown willingness to remain vigilant and protect the young girls from falling prey to the wealthy men.
On March 14, 2024 at 8:42pm, Murang’a County Security Committee received an alert from the community policing hotline that its capital town had become a sex hub featuring female students from area institutes of higher learning.
The alerts once sent to counties from Nairobi’s Harambee House gets received by the County Commissioners, Police commanders and National Intelligence Security (NIS) officers for onward forwarding to ground officers.
“The huge population dominating night life and partaking sexual orgies are university, college and high school female students…The town’s security arrangement is helping parents lose their children in that nightlife,” the message reads in part.
This was after sexual orgies, involving drunk female students, had been reported in the town’s public spaces. The alert prompted crackdowns on late night alcoholic dens in the town.
“It is true that in colleges and campuses roam brokers who connect the young and beautiful girls to the rich and prominent men for sex for sport,” he said.
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Mr Kinuthia said these arrangements are further complicated by the fact that often the wealthy sponsors frown upon protected sex.
“In their quest for conquest the deceive their prey into believing that they will take responsibilty in the event a baby is born out of the union.”
However, he says, when these women become pregnant, the wealthy sponsors break their promises and start pressuring them to procure an abortion.
“Most of these girls believe they are in those unions for their best interests until things get out of hand,” Mr Kinuthia said.
He said sex pairing of wealthy sponsors and college girls is a thriving enterprise facilitated by brokers who deliver them in posh hotels and secluded cottages.
Liz, a 20-year-old university student, confesses that she has had casual sex with politicians.
“Nobody in her right mind ventures out seeking death. We try playing safe since this trend is unlikely to end soon. We live in a society where success is measured by material gain,” she said.
“The very society that looks down upon us is the very one that believes that the measure of success is the ability to amass wealth by hook or crook,” she observes
“We have only set ourselves on the path to riches. Sometimes it works, other time it doesn’t and death is just death,” she quips.