As Kenyans wrapped up Valentine’s Day, a group of women found themselves trending on social media after a Russian man secretly recorded their private encounters and uploaded the videos online.
Seen in now-viral TikTok clips, the man, identified as Yaytseslav, has targeted women across Africa, with some falling for his advances and others rejecting them.
He has allegedly been to South Africa, Ghana, and now Kenya, among other countries.
The videos capture Yaytseslav approaching women in public spaces like streets and malls. He starts casual conversations, delivers compliments, and in some cases, pulls women into a brief, clumsy salsa dance or twirl.
“Hello, what’s your name? You look beautiful. I really like you. Can you please share your phone number?” he can be heard saying in the clips.
Yaytseslav does not stop at the public encounter. He uploads snippets of these interactions on TikTok and YouTube, often showing women later in hotels or Airbnbs, implying they connected after the initial meeting.
He also shares X-rated content on Telegram, charging a monthly subscription of Sh644 ($5).
Many videos suggest the woman agreed to the private dates and appears relaxed on his bed.
In these viral clips, women seem hesitant at first, but he quickly persuades them to go back to his apartment.
“Can we go to my place?” he asks, after which the women appear comfortable, playful, and romantic. Many viewers have expressed shock at how quickly they trust a stranger.
Yaytseslav reportedly selects women at random: a supermarket attendant, a woman at a market, a mother with her children, and a mall guard.
In one instance, he even visits Bishop Edward Mwai’s Roysambu Mega Church, briefly speaking with the preacher before convincing a woman from the congregation to go home with him.
Kenyans on social media have debated how the women did not notice they were being recorded.
Many suggested he used Ray-Ban Smart Glasses, also known as Meta Glasses. They resemble regular sunglasses but are equipped with cameras, speakers, and AI.
A photo of Yaytseslav wearing glasses similar to the device also fueled the speculation.
The videos have sparked outrage online, with Kenyans condemning the Russian man’s actions.
Renowned journalist Ferdinand Omondi wrote on X, “A foreigner travels to African countries, engages in consensual sex with women, secretly records them, and then publishes the videos online. The sex was consensual. The recording and distribution were not. That is sexual exploitation.”
He added, “What’s troubling is that instead of focusing on the violation, many are laughing at the women. Adults make personal choices every day, some wise, some risky. But no choice cancels the right to privacy, or grants permission to secretly record and expose someone. Blurring that line normalises exploitation.”
Another commentator, Dennis, wrote, “The violation does not erase the consequences of risky personal choices. Being exposed and shamed are just some of those consequences.”
Singer Juliani noted, “The number of women who refused the guy’s advances is far greater than those he recorded. But that is not the story people are talking about.”