Death In Dubai

‘Death in Dubai’: a new BBC Eye documentary and World of Secrets podcast unveils real stories behind viral hashtag #DubaiPortaPotty

 

Death in Dubai, reported and produced by award-winning journalist Runako Celina, reveals how a former London bus driver, Charles Mwesigwa (known locally as Abbey), is accused of running an illegal prostitution ring in Dubai that systematically exploits young Ugandan women.

Through undercover reporting, testimony and open-source intelligence (OSINT), the investigation uncovers the coercion and violence behind the online rumour that has been viewed more than 450 million times on TikTok.

Since its Sep 15th release, the documentary has already:

  • Reached over 1.3 million views on BBC Africa YouTube in just days

  • Generated 2.7 million page views on the BBC News website on Sep 15th alone

  • Amassed over 17 million views on TikTok across clips

  • Sparked coverage in the Financial Times, The Guardian, Metro, Woman’s Hour, Focus on Africa and beyond

A journalist-led investigation
This is the product of more than two and a half years of relentless investigative work by reporter and producer Runako Celina. Every contributor who appears in the documentary, from family members to insiders, was found and interviewed through relationships she built herself. The documentary and podcast follow her investigative work, reporting and uncovering new evidence through her original open-source intelligence (OSINT) work. Using geolocation and digital forensics, she was able to track the places where the network was operating, and to debunk viral misinformation by identifying the true origins of videos wrongly linked to Monic Karungi. The result is a landmark piece of journalism that restores dignity to women whose stories were twisted online, while also exposing the networks that profited from their exploitation.

“Monic’s story was reduced to a meme online, but she was so much more than that,” says reporter and producer Runako Celina. “Behind the viral hashtag and the online abuse was a young woman with dreams for a better life, and a family who loved her. This isn’t just about one rumour: it’s about the way misinformation, inequality and exploitation feed off each other, and about restoring dignity to women like Monic and Kayla, who can no longer speak for themselves.”

The film and podcast tell the story of Ugandan women lured to the UAE under false promises of legitimate work, only to find themselves in debt and forced into degrading sex acts. Testimonies allege that clients paid thousands for violent “fetish” acts, directly linking the online Porta Potty myth to the lived reality of exploitation.

Two women connected to Abbey’s network — Monic Karungi (23, widely known online as Mona Kizz) and Kayla Birungi — died after falling from buildings in Dubai.

Death in Dubai is a co-production between BBC Eye, BBC World of Secrets and Thread Studios.

 

Where to listen and watch?

  • Documentary ‘Death in Dubai: #Dubaiportapotty’: Available from Monday 15 September

    • UK audiences: Watch on BBC iPlayer

    • US audiences: Watch on BBC Select

    • English, Arabic, French, Swahili and Hausa versions of the documentary will be available on the following BBC YouTube channels:

    • International broadcast: The documentary will also be shown on TV channels broadcasting BBC Africa Eye. 

  • Podcast ‘World of Secrets: Death in Dubai- Season 9’

    • The first episode of the six-part series will be available from 15 September wherever you get your BBC podcasts, with a new episode released weekly.

    • If you’re in the UK, all six episodes will be available on BBC Sounds from 15 September.

    • Listeners outside the UK can listen to episodes weekly on BBC.com from 15 September, or to all six episodes if they subscribe to BBC Podcasts Premium on Apple Podcasts.

    • The series will air weekly on BBC World Service radio from Wednesday 25 September.

Support services:

If you feel distressed by the references in this programme, please speak to a heath professional, or an organisation that offers support such as Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org

 

For UK viewers, details of organisations offering information about or support after sexual abuse or with feelings of despair are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

In her own words

“Monic’s story was reduced to a meme online, but she was so much more than that. Behind the viral hashtag and the online abuse was a young woman with dreams for a better life, and a family who loved her. This isn’t just about one rumour: it’s about the way misinformation, inequality and exploitation feed off each other, and about restoring dignity to women like Monic and Kayla, who can no longer speak for themselves.”