Alarm over moral decay in the society

In the midst of Kenya’s rich diverse landscapes and cultures, a troubling trend now looms over the nation’s spirit that is troubling religious leaders and medical experts.

The Kenya constitution stands out as a testament to the country’s values, promising protection against cruel and degrading treatment. Yet, in the glare of the digital era, these noble ideals seem to fade.

Communities that once prized empathy and respect, valuing the privacy and emotions of their neighbours, now witness a disconcerting shift. The sanctity of life is violated, its most harrowing moments captured and shared callously for transient fame.

Unthinkable acts of brutality—gang rapes, violent assaults, the agonising gasps of the dying—are now broadcast across social media platforms, transforming human suffering into grotesque spectacles.

Ordinarily, as per African tradition, people offered help in incidents depicting cruelty, deaths or anything that causes untold suffering to a fellow human being, while those who couldn’t stomach it kept their distance.

But a new trend has taken shape in the country where Kenyans gleefully take photographs of individuals drowning, being beaten or even accident victims breathing their last, and sharing them on social media, raising questions on whether sadism has taken over the Kenyan society.

“It is amazing that the priority of those who arrive at accident scenes is to take pictures of the dying and send them all over instead of assisting them get to hospitals. We are living in a sick society where people seems to enjoy seeing others dying or suffering in one way or another,” says Nyeri Catholic archbishop Anthony Muheria.

The country has in the recent past witnessed a surge in some rather disturbing social engagements where some Kenyans record even egregious incidents including gang rapes, violent attacks, dead bodies and even people dying, and which are later shared on social media platforms.

Among the most disturbing videos is the viral “Sigor Boys” footage that captured several young men sexually assaulting a woman in turns in Bomet West.

Extremely traumatised

The incident, captured in a viral video, happened in Chebanyi village came to the limelight when a clip trending as “Sigor boys” on social media platform X, showed several men in a dimly lit room taking turns to sexually assault a woman.

The gang rape that happened in December 2023 infuriated most Kenyans who called for stern measures to deter such assaults. The suspects were later arrested.

“The Kenyan society is extremely traumatised because of the many burdens hanging on people’s shoulders, from unemployment, poor economy and high cost of living to corruption. People are no longer scared of deaths, as they instead find entertainment in it,” says Dr Oscar Wanyutu Githua, a forensic psychologist.

Dr Githua says that as a result of the hardships, Kenyans have become numb, which is the biggest sign of a society traumatised.

People struggling

“The people you see filming others as they drown, or as they breathe their last and share those videos on social media are no longer humane. They have lost hope in life and the reasons they would rather circulate such pictures,” says Dr Githua.

The have been cases of abuse involving civilians and also police. Majority of the cases happen in the domestic setting.

During the recent devastating floods that have so far claimed about 300 lives, destroyed properties worth millions of shillings and displaced hundreds of thousands, most Kenyans amplified the bad habit of capturing people struggling to escape after they got trapped in deep flood waters.

In videos shared on social media attracting thousands of views, Kenyans were uncharacteristically seen spectating and others celebrating as people were swept away by floods.

In June 2020, three police officers were arrested after a widely circulated video showed them dragging a woman behind a motorcycle and whipping her.

 “Psychologically people are born good with a clean slate but through experience either good or bad they turn and change into either of the two. So, the sadist and masochists could have experienced bad things and they ended up deriving pleasure from such actions of taking videos and photos of evil things happening,” Jane Nduta, a Kiambu-based counselor told People Daily yesterday.

Reverend Phyllis Githaiga, a counsellor and a gospel minister with Glory Outreach Assembly (GOA) in Ruiru says excitement about bad incidents boils down to decayed moral fabric, lack of compassion, poor upbringing and loss of Godly values.

To curb the habit, Githaiga called on Kenyans to be human to compassionately handle situations in a way that does not make others suffer.

Security officials and police oversight bodies have also warned on the increase of people killed or seriously injured in mob attacks, often with official complicity.

Equally, these attacks are also recorded and shared on various social media platforms.

A senior police officer has also warned that though there are laws that are preventive, remedial and punitive, vigilantism and mob injustice are becoming accepted delivery mechanisms for imparting justice.

“Some people seeking to settle personal scores may also infiltrate the ranks of the mob,” he said.