Kenya has emerged as a key destination for controversial disciplinary camps where children sent from Europe, including Finland and Sweden, are subjected to severe abuse under the guise of rehabilitation, a new investigation by Finland’s public broadcaster Yle has revealed.
The investigation, conducted by Yle journalist Wali Hashi, found that some Somali parents living in Finland secretly send their children to institutions in Kenya and Somalia, where the youths are allegedly chained, beaten, isolated, and cut off from the outside world.
To gain access to the camps, Hashi posed as a father seeking “discipline” for his son, enabling him to secretly record footage from several institutions operating in both Kenya and Somalia. The camps were found to house minors from Europe, often without the knowledge or oversight of authorities in their home countries.
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At one disciplinary institution in Kenya, Hashi encountered a teenage boy who had been sent from Stockholm, Sweden. Camp administrators also confirmed that they had previously hosted youths from Finland.
The institutions are commonly presented to parents as religious or moral rehabilitation centres. However, video evidence obtained during the investigation showed young people shackled to beds, beaten with sticks and pipes, and subjected to food deprivation as punishment.
Former detainees said the abuse in Kenyan camps often began immediately after parents left, with staff using violence to enforce strict obedience and religious practices.
One Finnish citizen recounted being sent to a disciplinary camp in Kenya at the age of 12, where he spent several 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 rarely explained.
The investigation revealed that parents were frequently persuaded by members of the diaspora community that sending children to Kenya was a solution to behavioural challenges such as truancy, petty crime, or adopting what is perceived as an overly Western lifestyle.
The practice, known in Somali communities as dhaqan celis, meaning “return to culture,” was found to have evolved into a lucrative cross-border business that exploits parental fears.
At some camps, families reportedly paid hundreds of euros per month — a substantial sum in both Kenya and Somalia — creating financial incentives for the continued operation of the institutions despite allegations of abuse.
Kenya’s involvement has drawn international concern following testimonies from victims who were detained in similar camps and later received assistance from foreign embassies while in the country.
Diplomatic officials based in Kenya, including representatives from Norway and Denmark, confirmed that they have encountered multiple traumatised youths who either escaped or were rescued from such facilities.
Human rights organisations warn that the existence of these camps in Kenya raises serious legal and child-protection concerns. Advocates are now calling for increased scrutiny by Kenyan authorities to ensure that no institutions operating within the country are violating children’s rights under the guise of discipline, culture, or religious instruction.