WASHINGTON D.C. – In a rare display of bipartisan unity, the United States Congress has overwhelmingly approved legislation compelling the public release of all government files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move, finalised late on Tuesday, 18 November 2025 (early Wednesday, 19 November EAT), sends the Epstein Files Transparency Act to President Donald Trump's desk, who has indicated he will sign it into law.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill with a near-unanimous vote of 427 to 1. Hours later, the Senate approved the measure by unanimous consent, a fast-track process initiated by Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, ensuring the bill would pass without amendment or delay upon its arrival from the House.

The legislation requires the U.S. Department of Justice to publish all unclassified records, communications, and investigative materials from its files on Epstein within 30 days of the bill becoming law. This includes documents from federal investigations in both Florida and New York. Certain information, such as personal details of victims and material that could jeopardise ongoing investigations, can be redacted.

Global Network Under Scrutiny

Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, cultivated a vast network of powerful and wealthy associates across the globe, including politicians, business leaders, and royalty. The release of these government files is anticipated to provide the most comprehensive official account to date of his criminal enterprise and could potentially implicate co-conspirators.

The case has already had international repercussions, notably in the United Kingdom, where Prince Andrew was stripped of his royal titles over his relationship with Epstein. President Trump also had a well-documented social relationship with Epstein spanning from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, though he has since sought to distance himself from the disgraced financier. Flight logs have confirmed Trump flew on Epstein's private jet on multiple occasions in the 1990s.

Relevance for Kenya and East Africa

While no confirmed, direct links between Epstein’s sex trafficking network and Kenyan nationals have been established in official documents, the case holds significant indirect relevance for the region. Unconfirmed online reports have previously pointed to potential ties to Malindi, a coastal town known to be a hotspot for sex tourism and child exploitation, though these claims require further investigation. Additionally, Epstein's convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, once alleged that Epstein worked with "African warlords" in his business of recovering stolen money, though no specific countries were named.

The Epstein scandal highlights the global nature of human trafficking and the ways powerful individuals can exploit systemic weaknesses to commit crimes across borders. This resonates deeply in Kenya, which the U.S. State Department's 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report identifies as a source, transit, and destination country for trafficking. The report notes that while the Kenyan government is making significant efforts to combat trafficking, challenges like official complicity and inadequate victim protection persist.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), human trafficking is a major issue in East Africa, with sexual exploitation being the most common form globally. Recent cases have seen Kenyans trafficked to Southeast Asia for forced criminality in online scams, often transiting through major airports like Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). The push for transparency in the Epstein case serves as a global benchmark for accountability, reinforcing the importance of the rule of law and the fight against impunity for powerful figures—a central theme in Kenya's own governance and anti-corruption efforts.

The bill's passage marks a pivotal moment for survivors of Epstein's abuse, who have campaigned for years for full transparency and accountability. The impending release of the files will be closely watched worldwide for its potential to expose the full extent of a criminal network that operated at the highest levels of global society for decades.