Picture of Monica (not her real name) showing the eye injury while admitted at the Mama Lucy Hospital

JULY 13^TH 2021. BY BHESP TEAM. 38-Year-Old-Monica (not her real name) started her day normally with hope that it would be a productive day having not received any money the previous day. And so it showed all the signs as one of her regular clients called to check on her availability.

Monica is sex worker based in Kayole in Nairobi. Depending on her clients’ preference, she either invites them to her single roomed house or goes to the clients preferred location which could be a lodging or in some rare cases the clients house.

Sunday 27^th June 2021, a client named Nahashon Adeya calls Monica and asks for a convenient time to show up, they strike a deal and Samuel makes his way to Monica’s house.

On arrival, Nahashon makes a different demand and now wants to go out with Monica to a different location. Monica is now confused and refuses to comply with the surprise turn of event because she is also expecting other clients after finishing with Nahashon. He walks out disappointed and Monica thinks Nahashon is gone for the day and hopes the other clients she is expecting will not disappoint her.

Mercy Akinyi, a 27-year-old mother-of-three is a bartender in a Kondele bar on the outskirts of Kisumu town at the same time a sex worker. Her bartending job starts in the afternoon, leaving the whole morning to engage in her sex work. Most of her clients are those that she serves alcohol and seduce her during their drinking hours - she directs them to her one-bedroomed house a few meters from the bar to show up when she is not working.

On a good morning, she makes approximately Ksh 3,000 if she is lucky to get three clients before going to her regular job. Her salary at the bar is a paltry Ksh 10,000. She says she has been on this same routine since she was 16 years of age.