This archive report was first published on 22 August 2020.
Kenya: Sex Workers Face a Dilemma - to Work or Not During Covid-19 ¶
Published on August 22, 2020
Atieno, a 24-year-old sex worker from Kisumu, has been in the industry for six years. Her day would typically begin in the morning or evening when she would arrive at her spot and wait for customers. She would take them to a rented guest house and charge anything from 800 Kenyan shillings ($7.40) to 10,000 ($93) depending on how long she spent with them.
However, the coronavirus pandemic changed everything. On March 27, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a 7pm-5am nationwide curfew, which was later changed to 9pm-4am. This disrupted Atieno's working hours, and the government's order to close bars, clubs, and hotels, key establishments where sex workers solicit clients, further exacerbated the situation.
Atieno told African Arguments that she now averages only one client per week, and has had to reduce her rates to as little as 100-200 Kenyan shillings ($0.93-1.86) for what previously she would earn 800 Kenyan shillings. She is also putting herself at risk of contracting the virus.
As a single parent of two children, Atieno's family's welfare has been compromised. She is not alone in this struggle, as many sex workers in Kenya are facing similar challenges.
Sex work is criminalised in Kenya under Sections 153 and 154 of the Penal Code, but the Ministry of Health estimates there to be 133,674 female sex workers in the country. Advocates such as the Kisumu Sex Workers Alliance (KISWA) argue that the government's failure to protect sex workers has forced them into more dangerous practices to make a living.
"Things are tough," says Dorothy Agalla, Director of KISWA. "Most sex workers are now working during the day while others risk working at night targeting the truckers. Those who have tried virtual hotspots [social media apps] have ended up getting assaulted. We have at least three reported cases with the police. In one case, a sex worker was invited to the client's residence and after service delivery, the client drew a gun at her. Another one was beaten senseless."
There is nowhere to go to seek reprieve when such events occur, and sex workers are also in danger of catching the virus. KISWA has been working with partners to distribute donations of face masks and sanitiser - as well as food subsidies - to sex workers.
"It is a risk I must take so that I can provide for my family," Atieno says. "It will take time before it can be business as usual due to the nature of this virus... Many of our clients have also lost jobs, so as long as they are jobless, we are also jobless."
