This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
On a fateful night in 2016, Purity Wanjiru, a 25-year-old sex worker in Nairobi, found herself in a desperate situation. She had been hired by a client for Ksh15,000, but instead of taking her to his home, he drove her to Lang'ata Cemetery, leaving her shaken and vulnerable.
Wanjiru, who was born and raised in Uthiru, Kiambu County, recounted the harrowing experience to BBC Swahili in an interview published on July 10, 2020.
According to Wanjiru, the client had promised to give her the money once they arrived at his home, but instead, he took a detour and drove into the cemetery. When she expressed her anxiety, he ordered her to shut up and threatened to kill her.
Wanjiru was forced to strip naked and was left alone in the cemetery, with the client speeding off with her clothes. She managed to escape by using a Maasai shuka that fell from one of the security guards as she tried to find her way out of the cemetery.
After that incident, Wanjiru vowed never to return to prostitution and has since turned her life around. Today, she engages in garbage collection for a living, earning between Ksh300 and Ksh400 per day, which is just enough for her and her children.
