What began as an innocent curiosity turned into a harrowing ordeal for a 17-year-old Nairobi schoolgirl, whose disappearance last month has now led to the arrest of a 26-year-old South African man.
The teenager had downloaded Tinder after a classmate persistently encouraged her to explore the popular dating app.
Almost immediately after setting up her profile, matches began pouring in — among them, a man later identified as Bradley Zwane, who was operating from a luxury hotel in Westlands.
“When my daughter disappeared, I didn’t sleep the entire night,” the girl’s mother recounted tearfully. “I was so afraid. I told myself my child had either been kidnapped or killed. By 5:30 a.m., I was already at her school, only to learn from her friend that they had gone there together. That’s when we called the police.”
Investigators swiftly traced the girl to the Westlands hotel, where a search uncovered five Kenyan passports — four brand new, and one showing recent travel stamps from South Africa and Russia.
The room also contained several used condoms, raising further concerns.
Zwane, now in custody, claimed he believed the girl was of legal age.
“I asked her how old she was, and she said 18, just like it said on her Tinder profile,” he told police. “I asked for her ID, and she jokingly said it was a 4. I asked a few more times, but she insisted she was 18. She told me her birthday was yesterday, and that she had finished high school and was waiting to go to university.”
Despite this, questions remain over how a minor was allowed entry into a hotel that requires valid identification.
Zwane further attempted to explain the suspicious passports found in his possession, claiming:
“These passports were not supposed to be with me. They belonged to the manager of our company who went to Europe.”
Authorities are now investigating Zwane’s ties to an alleged international betting company. His arrest has only deepened scrutiny into how online platforms like Tinder can be exploited by predators — and the challenges law enforcement faces in protecting minors.
The victim’s mother, still shaken, pleaded emotionally:
“That man called me and asked to talk. I begged him, ‘Please don’t ruin my daughter’s life.’ But when I looked at her — she’s just 17. If anything had happened to her, how would he have lived with himself? Just let her be.”
Zwane remains in custody at Kibra Police Station, facing charges that include defilement.
