Prostitution in Kenya

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Prostitution in Kenya is widespread. [1] The legal situation is complex. Although prostitution is not criminalised by National law, municipal by-laws may prohibit it. [2] (Nairobi banned all sex work in December 2017). [2] It is illegal to profit from the prostitution of others, and to aid, abet, compel or incite prostitution. (Sections 153 and 154 of the Penal Code). [3] UNAIDS estimate there to be 133,675 prostitutes in the country. [4]

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Many foreign men and women take part in sex tourism, which is thriving at resorts along Kenya's coast. Thousands of girls and boys are involved in casual child prostitution [5] due to poverty in the region.

Sex workers report abuse, extortion and violence from the police. [3]

Japanese prostitutes (the Karayuki-san) serviced British colonialists in Kenya. [6] [7]

Sex tourism on the coast

The ministry for tourism in Kenya has been severely criticised because of its lack of response to the booming sex tourism and child exploitation on the Kenyan coast. [8] [9]

In 2006, a study by UNICEF reported that up to 30% of the population of children aged between 12 and 18 in the coastal regions of Malindi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Diani were engaged in some form of sex work. [10] [11]

Prostitution and health

Access to health services is guaranteed by Article 43 of the Kenyan Constitution. However sex workers are often discriminated against and access to health services limited. [3]

Kenya is one of the world's most HIV affected countries. [12] Sex workers are the most affected group within the country. Research has shown that around 30% of sex workers are HIV positive. [12]

Lack of condom use, (both amongst sex workers and the general public), fuelled the spread of HIV and other STIs. Since 2001, the Kenyan Government has been distributing free condoms (180 million in 2013) and educating the public on their use. [12] The University of Nairobi and Prof Elizabeth Ngugi established a program with local prostitutes to educate and empower them by encouraging condom use. [13] A study of Nairobi sex workers in 2015 reported about two thirds always use condoms with clients. This compares with 40% amongst members of the general public who have two or more partners. [12]

HIV and STI testing is voluntary, however as the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act 2006 criminalised HIV transmission, there is some reluctance for sex workers to get tested. [3] The 2015 Nairobi sex workers' study found 86% had been tested, 63% within the previous 12 months. [12]

This booming trade in sex tourism [14] goes on [15] with the Kenyan Tourism Police's full knowledge. They do not want to discourage the hundreds of thousands of tourists from coming to Kenya's coast, regardless of the damage it does to young Kenyans. [11] [16] [17]

Sex trafficking

Kenya is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking. Boys were increasingly subjected to trafficking. Girls and boys are exploited in commercial sex throughout Kenya, including in sex tourism in Nairobi, Kisumu, and on the coast, particularly in informal settlements; at times, their exploitation is facilitated by family members. Children are also exploited in sex trafficking by people working in khat (a mild narcotic) cultivation areas, near gold mines in western Kenya, by truck drivers along major highways, and by fishermen on Lake Victoria. Kenyans are recruited by legal or illegal employment agencies or voluntarily migrate to Europe, the United States, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman, in search of employment, where at times they are exploited in massage parlours and brothels. Reports allege gay and bisexual Kenyan men are deceptively recruited from universities with promises of overseas jobs, but are forced into prostitution in Qatar and UAE. Kenyan women are subjected to forced prostitution in Thailand by Ugandan and Nigerian traffickers. [18]

Some children in Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps may be subjected to sex trafficking. Children from East Africa and South Sudan are subjected to sex trafficking in Kenya. Trucks transporting goods from Kenya to Somalia returned to Kenya with girls and women subsequently exploited in brothels in Nairobi or Mombasa. Nepalese and Indian women recruited to work in mujra dance clubs in Nairobi and Mombasa face debt bondage, which they are forced to pay off by dancing and forced prostitution. [18]

The United States Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons ranks Kenya as a 'Tier 2' country. [19]

Online prostitution in Kenya

The boom of online prostitution has been fueled by social media sites such as Tinder and Facebook. [20] In The Verge, November 7, 2014, Frenzen C. was quoted saying, “A group that wants to ban all sex work in Ireland is making fake Tinder profiles” in order to discourage the use of the dating app as a prostitution enabler. According to Fondation Scelles, a French NGO, apps such as AirBnB are being used for such accommodation reservations and in Kenya, the trade has made the shift to online platforms on infamous websites such as: kenyanescorts, [21] nairobihot, [22] kenyaraha [23] and many more bold examples all of whom own .com domains that have been active for more than a decade. However, this new kind of prostitution still hides behind exotic services such as massage therapy and escort services. [24] Online platforms present a greater enforcement challenge than conventional prostitution. [25] The Internet enables clients and working girls to communicate from entirely different locations in making their arrangements. The numbers just keep growing. [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Thailand</span>

Prostitution in Thailand is not itself illegal, but public solicitation for prostitution is prohibited if it is carried out "openly and shamelessly" or "causes nuisance to the public". Due to police corruption and an economic reliance on prostitution dating back to the Vietnam War, it remains a significant presence in the country. It results from poverty, low levels of education and a lack of employment in rural areas. Prostitutes mostly come from the northeastern (Isan) region of Thailand, from ethnic minorities or from neighbouring countries, especially Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. In 2019, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimated the total population of sex workers in Thailand to be 43,000.

Prostitution in Peru is legal and regulated. UNAIDS estimate there to be 67,000 prostitutes in the country.

Prostitution in Guatemala is legal but procuring is prohibited. There is an offence of “aggravated procuring” where a minor is involved. Keeping a brothel is not prohibited.

Prostitution in Senegal is legal and regulated. Senegal has the distinction of being one of the few countries in Africa to legalize prostitution, and the only one to legally regulate it. The only condition that it is done discreetly. Prostitution was first legalised in 1966. UNAIDS estimate that there are over 20,000 prostitutes in the country. The average age for a sex worker in Senegal is 28 years old and female.

Prostitution in Paraguay is legal for persons over the age of 18, but related activities such as brothel keeping are prohibited. Prostitution is common in the country. Brothels are also common, even some rural villages have a small bar/brothel on the outskirts.

Prostitution in Georgia is illegal but widespread, particularly in the capital, Tbilisi. Many NGO's attribute this to the harsh economic conditions according to the US State Department. Prostitution occurs on the streets, in bars, nightclubs, hotels and brothels. UNAIDS estimate there are 6,525 prostitutes in Georgia.

Prostitution in El Salvador is not prohibited by national law, but may be prohibited by local municipal ordinances. Municipal ordinances may also prohibit the purchase of sexual services. Related activities such as facilitating, promoting or giving incentives to a person to work as a prostitute (pimping) are illegal. The prostitution of children is also illegal. Brothel ownership, however, is legal. There are no specific laws against human trafficking, but any criminal offence that includes ‘commerce in women or children’ requires sentencing to be increased by 30%.

Prostitution in Zambia is legal and common. Related activities such as soliciting and procuring are prohibited. UNAIDS estimate there are 9,285 prostitutes in the capital, Lusaka. Many women turn to prostitution due to poverty. Sex workers report law enforcement is corrupt, inconsistent and often abusive.

Prostitution in Uganda is illegal according to Uganda's 1950 Penal Code, but is widespread despite this. Many turn to prostitution because of poverty and lack of other opportunities. A study of Kampala teachers in 2008 showed that teachers were turning to prostitution to increase their income. A sex worker can earn around USh.1.5 million/= (£439 sterling) per month, whereas this would be a yearly wage for a secondary school teacher. There are many Kenyan prostitutes in the country.

Prostitution in Tanzania is illegal but widespread. UNAIDS estimate there to be 155,450 prostitutes in the country. Many women and young girls are forced into prostitution due to poverty, lack of job opportunities, culture, and the disintegration of the family unit. Many university students have to turn to prostitution for economic reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Africa</span>

The legal status of prostitution in Africa varies widely. It is frequently common in practice, partially driven by the widespread poverty in many sub-Saharan African countries, and is one of the drivers for the prevalence of AIDS in Africa. Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire permit the operations of brothels. In other countries, prostitution may be legal, but brothels are not allowed to operate. In some countries where prostitution is illegal, the law is rarely enforced.

Prostitution in Uzbekistan is illegal, but prostitution has increased within the country since the collapse of the Soviet Union. UNAIDS estimated there to be 22,000 sex workers in the country in 2019. Many of the women have turned to prostitution in Uzbekistan because of poverty.

Prostitution in Togo is legal and commonplace. Related activities such as solicitation, living off the earnings of prostitution or procuring are prohibited. Punishment is up to 10 years imprisonment if minors or violence is involved.

Prostitution in Madagascar is legal, and common, especially in tourist areas. Related activities such as soliciting, procuring, living off the earnings of prostitution or keeping a brothel are prohibited. Public Order laws are also used against prostitutes. There are recent laws against "consorting with female prostitutes". People caught paying for sex with children under 14 can face criminal penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment. This is strictly enforced against foreign tourists. As well as in the tourist areas, prostitution also occurs around the mining towns of the interior such as Ilakaka and Andilamena. It was estimated that there were 167,443 sex workers in the country in 2014.

Prostitution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is legal but related activities are prohibited. The Congolese penal code punishes pimping, running a bawdy house or brothel, the exploitation of debauchery or prostitution, as well as forced prostitution. Activities that incite minors or promote the prostitution of others have been criminalised. The government does little to enforce the law. During the colonial era and the years that followed independence, the Ministry of Health issued calling cards identifying professional sex workers and provided them with medical health checks. However, this system was abandoned in the 1980s. Public order laws are sometimes used against sex workers. Street prostitutes report harassment, violence and extortion from the police. UNAIDS estimated there are 2.9 million sex workers in the country.

Prostitution in Angola is illegal and prevalent since the 1990s. Prostitution increased further at the end of the civil war in 2001. Prohibition is not consistently enforced. Many women engage in prostitution due to poverty. It was estimated in 2013 that there were about 33,000 sex workers in the country. Many Namibian women enter the country illegally, often via the border municipality of Curoca, and travel to towns such as Ondjiva, Lubango and Luanda to work as prostitutes.

Prostitution in Benin is legal but related activities such as brothel keeping and benefiting from the prostitution of others are illegal. UNAIDS estimates there to be about 15,000 prostitutes in the country. Most of these are migrants from neighbouring countries, mainly Nigeria, Togo and Ghana. Only 15% of the prostitutes are Beninese. Prostitution occurs on the streets, in bars, restaurants, hotels and brothels. With advent of the smartphone, many prostitutes use apps to make arrangements with clients.

Prostitution in Burundi is illegal but is commonplace and on the rise. Prostitution is prevalent in all areas of the country, and especially in the largest city, Bujumbura, and prior to the security crisis in 2015, the tourist areas around Lake Tanganyika. UNAIDS estimate there are 51,000 prostitutes in Burundi. Many women have turned to prostitution due to poverty.

Prostitution in Somalia is officially illegal. There is generally very little voluntary prostitution in the country according to the African Medical Research and Education Foundation (AMREF). UNAIDS estimated there were 10,957 sex workers in Somalia in 2016.

Prostitution in South Sudan is legal but related activities such as soliciting or brothel-keeping are illegal.

References

  1. ↑ UNAIDS (20 May 2020). "Kenyan sex workers abandoned and vulnerable during COVID-19". UNAIDS. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Nairobi County Assembly Bans Sex Work in the City". NSWP. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Sexuality, Poverty and Law Programme". Institute of Development Studies. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  4. ↑ "Sex workers: Population size estimate - Number, 2016". www.aidsinfoonline.org. UNAIDS. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  5. ↑ "Child sex for a dollar on Kenya's palm-fringed beaches". Reuters. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  6. ↑ Elkins, Caroline (2010). Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya (reprint ed.). Henry Holt and Company. p. 11. ISBN   978-1429900294.
  7. ↑ Elkins, Caroline (2005). Britain's Gulag: The Brutal End of Empire in Kenya (illustrated ed.). Jonathan Cape. p. 11. ISBN   022407363X.
  8. ↑ Kenya: Supkem Slams Balala Over Sex Trade. allAfrica.com (26 April 2011). Retrieved on 2011-05-09.
  9. ↑ Kenya: Supkem Slams Balala Over Sex Trade Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine . Mombasa.travel (26 April 2011). Retrieved on 2011-05-09.
  10. ↑ Chris Niles (19 December 2006). "Report reveals Kenyan child sex industry of 'horrific' magnitude". UNICEF.
  11. 1 2 Kenya – Sex tourism in Kenya: One girl’s story. UNICEF. Retrieved on 9 May 2011.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "HIV and AIDS in Kenya". AVERT. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  13. ↑ Cohen, Jon (23 June 2000). "An Ambassador of Research". Science. 288 (5474): 2162. doi:10.1126/science.288.5474.2162. ISSN   0036-8075. PMID   10896601. S2CID   153033248.
  14. ↑ Child Prostitution. YouTube (28 September 2009). Retrieved on 2011-05-09.
  15. ↑ Untold suffering of Kenya's children – Channel 4 News. Channel4.com. Retrieved on 9 May 2011.
  16. ↑ Autumn Sex Tourism Flourishing in … Kenya?. Vagabondish.com (22 February 1999). Retrieved on 2011-05-09.
  17. ↑ Hughes, Dana. (7 October 2008) Sun, Safaris and Sex Tourism in Kenya – ABC News. Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved on 2011-05-09.
  18. 1 2 "Kenya 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report". US Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  19. ↑ "Kenya 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  20. ↑ Hallett, Sophie (29 March 2017), "From 'child prostitution' to 'child sexual exploitation': an overview", Making Sense of Child Sexual Exploitation, Policy Press, doi:10.1332/policypress/9781447333586.003.0002, ISBN   9781447333586 , retrieved 13 April 2022
  21. ↑ Escorts, Kenyan. "VIP Escorts". Kenyan Escorts. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  22. ↑ "Nairobi Hot Sexy Call Girls". Nairobi Hot, Nairobi Raha Escorts & Call Girls. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  23. ↑ "Kenya Raha Escorts and Call girls In Kenya - Kenya Raha - Kenya Escorts & Kenya Call Girls". 4 January 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  24. ↑ Muendo, Stevens. "Forget twilight girls, the business of 'pleasure' is now on leafy suburbs". Standard Entertainment and Lifestyle. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  25. ↑ "Online Prostitution and Trafficking". ResearchGate.
  26. ↑ "Online prostitution business is still booming despite coronavirus pa - BNN". 20 August 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2022.

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