Finnish Journalist Exposes Kenya’s Alleged Secret Disciplinary Camps
Kenya has emerged as a major destination for controversial punishment camps for youngsters from Europe, particularly Finland and Sweden.
According to a new investigation conducted by Finland’s national broadcaster Yle, the children are subjected to horrific abuse under the premise of rehabilitation.
The research, led by Yle journalist Wali Hashi, discovered that some Somali parents living in Finland covertly send their children to institutions in Kenya and Somalia.
In the camps, young people are chained, abused, isolated, and forbidden from contact with the outside world.
Yleisradio osoitti rohkeutta tarttumalla tärkeään ilmiöön ja tekemällä näkyväksi jotain, mitä monet jo tiesivät.
— Jussi Mäkinen (@MakisenJussi) January 26, 2026
Vielä rohkeampi oli toimittaja Wali Hashi, joka lähti vaaralliselle matkalle. Peitetoiminta on erittäin riskialtista, ja undercover-reissu Afrikkaan asetti hänet… pic.twitter.com/xx0qB5osQ1
Hashi obtained entry into the camps by acting as a father seeking “discipline” for his son.
This allowed him to discreetly shoot footage from institutions in Somalia and Kenya, including camps for European adolescents.
At one disciplinary institution in Kenya, Hashi met a teenage boy brought from Stockholm, Sweden, and camp organizers verified that they had previously hosted youngsters from Finland as well.
The camps are frequently marketed to parents as religious or moral rehabilitation centers.
However, video evidence gathered by the journalist showed young kids shackled to beds, thrashed with sticks and pipes, and deprived of food.
Former detainees stated that torture in Kenyan camps often began right after their parents left, with personnel employing violence to enforce strict obedience and religious customs.
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.
The investigation revealed that parents were often persuaded by members of the diaspora community.
They were convinced 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.
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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.
They called 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.
Finnish Journalist Exposes Kenya’s Alleged Secret Disciplinary Camps
