A BBC Africa Eye investigation has shed light on the shocking involvement of women, known as “madams”, in forcing children as young as 13 into prostitution in Kenya. In the transit town of Maai Mahiu, located in Kenya’s Rift Valley, trucks and lorries transport goods and people across the country and into neighboring countries. However, this key transport hub is also known for prostitution and child sexual abuse.
Undercover investigators, posing as sex workers, infiltrated the sex trade in Maai Mahiu and secretly filmed two women who admitted to introducing underage girls to the industry. The BBC shared its evidence with the Kenyan police in March, but the police stated that they were unable to trace the women and young girls involved. There have been no arrests to date.
Sex work is not explicitly criminalized in Kenya, but it is banned in many municipal by-laws. However, it is not banned in Maai Mahiu, which falls under Nakuru county. The trafficking or sale of minors under the age of 18 carries a prison sentence ranging from 10 years to life.
Nyambura, one of the undercover subjects, revealed that she manipulates young girls by offering them sweets. She explained that she takes them out secretly at night due to the risks involved. Cheptoo, another subject, admitted to introducing underage girls to clients in exchange for payment.
The investigators also spoke to four young women who were forced into sex work as children. They shared traumatic stories of abuse, neglect, and violence. Two of the women are now learning new skills in a photography studio and beauty salon, with the support of “Baby Girl”, a former sex worker who provides refuge for girls in Maai Mahiu.
Baby Girl, who worked in the sex industry for 40 years, is now on a mission to educate people about the risks of unprotected sex and provide condoms. However, her outreach programs are set to stop due to US aid agency USAID funding cuts.
The US government has not responded to comments regarding the impact of the funding cuts. This leaves vulnerable children at risk, as they heavily depend on Baby Girl’s support.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c15l9zl508eo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
