In the small town of Bahati, Kenya, alarming allegations of child sexual abuse have emerged, raising serious concerns about how a foreign national has maneuvered through the local justice system despite facing grave accusations.
Martin Hermann Baumgartner, a 64-year-old German citizen with dual Kenyan nationality, had built a reputation as a respected member of the Kwa Nyayo community. Through his agricultural machinery company, Twajenga Holdings, he positioned himself as a benefactor, particularly to young boys, offering them jobs and support.
One 17-year-old victim, referred to as KV, recounted how Hermann portrayed himself as a farmer engaged in charitable work aimed at helping the less fortunate. Known affectionately as “Mzee,” a term of respect in Swahili, Hermann’s philanthropic image granted him unusual access to vulnerable children in a region struggling with poverty.
However, on February 14, 2023, detectives from the Nakuru Directorate of Criminal Investigations raided Hermann’s home, arrested him, and confiscated his vehicle and electronic devices. The following day, he was charged with 14 counts of sexual assault against eight boys in Bahati subcounty, including defilement, sexual assault, indecent acts with children, and compelling minors to engage in indecent acts.
Prosecutors allege the offenses were committed between 2006 and 2023 at Hermann’s residence. He also faced two additional counts of human trafficking, allegedly having transported two young men aged 18 and 19 to Shanzu in Kilifi County for sexual exploitation.
Disturbing testimony
Court records reveal harrowing testimony from multiple alleged victims who describe a calculated pattern of grooming and abuse.
One victim, now 17, testified that Hermann initially offered to help with his eye condition, taking him to hospitals in Maili Saba and later Nairobi. The boy described being made to share a bed with Hermann while in Nairobi, where he was allegedly defiled.
“Due to my dependence on him, I massaged his private parts until he ejaculated. I was so embarrassed,” the teenager testified, explaining how Hermann conditioned gifts, including Christmas clothing worth 7,000 Kenyan shillings, on sexual acts.
Another victim, identified as KK, told the court that when he was 15 years old in 2014, Hermann invited him to shower together and then demanded the boy massage his genitals. He alleged that Hermann later took him to Mombasa several times and introduced him to drugs.
A third victim, NK, testified that in 2007, when he was in Class Five (approximately 10-11 years old), Hermann gave him and three other children wine until they became intoxicated. “I don’t know what happened, but I found myself the following morning in his bedroom with a lot of pain around the anus,” NK testified.
NK added poignantly: “He took advantage of my situation. I had no one else to help me except him. He paid my school fees and is currently my employer.”
A familiar pattern
A Disturbing Pattern: The German Predator’s Reign of Terror in Kenya
Despite the gravity of the charges and testimony from multiple alleged victims, Hermann was released on a bond of 1 million Kenyan shillings with a surety of a similar amount. He was required to surrender his passports to the court.
