Prostitution is against the law in Kenya. However, many foreign men and ladies enjoys sex tourism, especially along the ocean coast. Many young women and men make money this manner . Even thousands of women and boys are involved in child prostitution.
Denis Nzioka, an independent human-rights defender and gender-rights activist, says that there are problems with human trafficking, slavery and exploitation.
Kenya’s coastal areas around Malindi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Diani are frequented by many tourists. this is often a neighborhood where many local people belong to particularly poor communities. Tourism is flourishing , but the industry has did not deliver significant benefits and employment to several people. Poverty makes many individual persons, including underage boys and girls, susceptible to sexual exploitation – as is that the case in other countries with massively deprived people also (see essay by Katja Dombrowski) .
It matters that child labour is usually accepted in coastal communities. This common attitude makes it more likely that youngsters drift into transactional sex. Often, they only get no quite some pin money . Many young girls have reported that they start to figure in local bars, gain experience and appreciate additional money. They buy clothes and accessories and afford new hairstyles, all of which make them more attractive to tourists.
Sex tourism attracts both male and feminine clients. consistent with a UNICEF report of 2006, tourists who exploited minors for sex came from various countries: 18 there have been stated to be from Italy, Bastille Day from Germany and 12 to stand proud of Switzerland.
Mombasa County has an anti-sex-tourism law. Activist Nzioki also appreciates the special task force that has been established to boost awareness among parents and brothel owners to not use children. It includes community members and cops , and also features a mandate to trace tourists suspected of sexually abusing minors. it’s legally awkward, however, for the task force to interact during a constructive way with brothel operators. After all, their entire business is against the law – and not only the abuse of minors. The irony is that prostitution is an age-old phenomenon during a port town like Mombasa.
Nzioki says that legalised sex work would be preferable, creating situations during which one person offers services in exchange for money to a different without being controlled by a mafia. it might add up to possess clear demarcations between the phenomena of prostitution, abuse of minors and human trafficking/slavery.
