Newly released files linked to the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein have drawn Tanzania and Kenya into a widening web of allegations surrounding a global sex-trafficking network involving wealthy and powerful individuals.
According to the documents, Tanzania is primarily referenced as a transit and destination point, with elite tourism locations allegedly frequented by members of Epstein’s circle. Among the sites mentioned is Mnemba Island, a private luxury archipelago off Tanzania’s coast in the Indian Ocean.
Investigators allege that Epstein and associates used such exclusive destinations to evade scrutiny while exploiting trafficked minors brought in from different parts of the world.
Luxury destinations under scrutiny
Mnemba Island, known for its extreme privacy and high-end clientele, is cited in the files as one of several locations patronised by individuals allegedly linked to Epstein’s network.
While the documents do not accuse the Tanzanian state or its institutions of complicity, they raise concerns over how exclusive tourism enclaves may have been exploited as safe havens for criminal activity under the cover of luxury travel.
The revelations have renewed calls for closer scrutiny of private island resorts, offshore travel routes, and cross-border movement involving high-net-worth individuals.
Alleged expansion into the Horn of Africa
The files also suggest that Epstein’s estate was, at one point, exploring business ventures in the Horn of Africa, including plans to establish a film studio in Somaliland.
According to the reports, the proposed studio may have been intended to lure aspiring young actors into the trafficking ring under the guise of legitimate entertainment opportunities.
Additionally, Epstein is alleged to have expressed interest in setting up a commercial bank in Somalia, raising further questions about how financial institutions could have been used to launder money or facilitate illicit operations linked to the network.
Kenya mentioned in regional links
Kenya is also referenced in the files as part of the broader East African context within which Epstein’s associates allegedly moved. Investigators suggest the country’s international connectivity, financial sector, and travel infrastructure may have made it a convenient logistical node—though, as with Tanzania, no official Kenyan institutions are accused of wrongdoing.
Authorities in the region have not yet issued formal responses to the claims.
Renewed global focus on Epstein network
The latest disclosures are part of a broader release of documents shedding new light on Epstein’s global operations, years after his death in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
The files reinforce longstanding concerns that Epstein’s network was international in scope, exploiting weak regulatory oversight, private wealth, and cross-border mobility to traffic minors with relative impunity.
Calls for accountability and safeguards
Human rights advocates say the revelations underscore the need for stronger international cooperation, tighter oversight of luxury tourism facilities, and improved safeguards for children and vulnerable populations.
They also warn that without transparent investigations and accountability, regions with developing regulatory frameworks risk becoming attractive to transnational criminal networks operating behind layers of wealth and influence.
As scrutiny intensifies, the disclosures place renewed pressure on governments, regulators, and the global travel industry to confront uncomfortable questions about how such networks were able to operate across continents for years without detection.
