Censor board slams parents over Kenyan house parties

NAIROBI: Parents are to blame for the moral decay in Kenya that has led to youth organising lurid events such as the highly publicised “Project X” party, says Kenya Film and Classification Board chief executive Ezekiel Mutua.

Mutua said parents were failing in guiding their children on moral issues, causing them to seek guidance from elsewhere, including media platforms.

“Our TV stations are airing programmes with lurid content targeted at the young ones. These young ones are now confused and they need help,” said Mutua.

Mutua’s comments were a reaction to the announcement that the government had banned a highly publicised house party, dubbed “Project X”, which came into the limelight after a public outcry against it.

Mutua said the Film Board had established that such raunchy parties were being held in private homes in upmarket estates in Nairobi.

“In these parties the youth take videos which they post on YouTube and on pornographic sites. The Film Board will not allow this kind of thing to go on,” said Mutua.

He said the government had done the correct thing to ban the party, scheduled for Saturday, because the aim of the organisers was clear on their posters, which invited youth to take part in drug abuse, sex orgies and other immoral activities.

“The parents are to blame for this one. They themselves hold swing parties which are just as immoral as this Project X thing.”

The National Police Service said on Facebook and Twitter: “We are taking action aimed at establishing what the organisers are planning. We will not allow events where illegalities are committed to take place.”

Among the most vocal organisations calling on the arrest of the organisers was Straight Talk Kenya, an adolescent sexuality and reproductive health programme that incorporates a newspaper, a network of clubs, a radio show and training programmes.

It described the party as a “sex orgy and drugs party” targeted at teenagers and had petitioned the police on Twitter. “Concern about planned sex party in Nrb targeting teens. We petition IG @JBoinnet to do something #StopProjectX”.

The organisers of the party ironically were using the same social media to lure young Kenyans.

Reactions on social media have ranged from support for the party to condemnation.

One person said the work of police was to ensure no underage people attended the party, otherwise all consenting adults should be left alone to party.

Others questioned the reasoning behind the ban, saying the outcry against the party was hypocritical since there were so many other immoral and corrupt dealings going on in the country, with far worse consequences.

Still others claimed the party was holding its third edition and they wondered why there was a sudden interest in it “or is it because more parents are now on FB?”

Posters of the event were still circulating on social media, showing scantily dressed and nearly nude pictures of young girls.

Someposters read: “One night to lose your mind… Everything goes… the less you wear the better… Project X”.

Organisers of the party have gone underground and were not answering their phones. – ANA