A team of security agents comprising of officers attached to Central Police Station and the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) on Thursday, August 19 arrested at least 100 commercial sex workers in Nairobi’s central business district.
The crackdown followed complaints of daytime prostitution from traders and members of the public.
The businesspeople lamented that the twilight girls were operating in broad daylight near their stores, causing a nuisance and distracting their would-be customers.
A senior Central Police Station officer reportedly told The Standard that the crackdown also targeted street families, parking boys and muggers.
“The traders filed a number of complaints against the group, particularly sex workers whom they claimed were operating in broad daylight near their stalls,” the cop was quoted.
“Some of the women openly entice men walking on the streets. Several victims have complained of sexual harassment by a section of the sex workers, who pull them to corridors for negotiation.”
The officer observed that the 10 pm-4 am curfew might have pushed the sex workers into daytime prostittuion.
“The traders said the sex workers were using foul language near their shops, making their customers uncomfortable. The most affected businessmen and women are those operating on Luthuli, Duruma Road, and its neighbouring streets.”
Some of the complainants threatened to stop remitting taxes to the county government if action won’t be taken against the sex workers.
Central Day Nursery School on Ngariama Road had written a letter to the police and the NMS about sex workers’ presence outside the school’s gate. The management complained that the twilight girls had littered the entrance to the school with cigarette sticks, miraa leaves and stems, condoms, among other unwanted matter.
The House of Judah Church on Ndumberi Road has also filed complaints about the nuisance by sex workers.
“The sex workers even show up outside the church on Sundays, when congregants are entering or leaving the worship centre,” a member of House of Judah Church reportedly said.
NMS officer, William Kangogo, who is in charge of the crackdown to rid the CBD of sex workers, beggars, and muggers said the exercise will last one month and would be conducted randomly thereafter.
“The directive was issued by the National Government,” he said, adding that some of the people posing as beggars are foreigners who are in the country illegally.
“We are investigating who is housing the foreigners because we understand that some of the beggars, mostly those living with disabilities, are usually taken to Huruma every evening,” added Kangogo.
