Nakuru sex workers want to be part of the election agenda
More than 3,000 commercial sex workers in Nakuru city who are registered voters want to be part of the agenda as the 2022 General Election draws near.
Led by their spokesperson Daisy Achieng, they resolved on Thursday to vote for leaders who can improve their lives.
After a meeting in Nakuru, they said they will not “vote blindly” but will ensure they are included in the agenda of local and national leaders.
“We will not vote blindly this time round, we are now wiser and empowered. We need development-oriented leaders who can help us get better jobs in future,” Ms Achieng told the Nation.
“There are many of us who have required certificates and documents to be employed in ward, constituency and county offices. Sex workers can also be employed; we are not illiterate.”
She added: “We will vote for leaders who address our plight, including helping us make investments as well as savings to improve our lives.”
Ms Achieng said they had been misused by politicians to cause chaos and disrupt peace during elections.
“But ahead of the August elections, we will behave with decorum and embrace peace. We will maintain peace because those in politics are seeking employment and we should not allow their differences to split us.”
Smart ladies team attending a monthly meeting in Nakuru City on February 1, 2020.
She said they will suspend their activities during party primaries and on election day, August 9, to exercise their democratic rights.
Legal issues
Nakuru city has about 5,000 commercial sex workers, who operate day and night, mostly on Kanu Street, Baringo Road, Gusii Road Nehru Pandit Road and parts of Kenyatta Avenue.
They can also be found in the Salgaa, Pipeline and Kikopey areas on the Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret highway.
They have formed an umbrella advocacy outfit called Smart Ladies through which they advance their interests and resolve legal issues, Ms Achieng said.
The idea for the group was mooted after several of the workers were brutally murdered while on duty in 2015 under unclear circumstances.
At least 10 sex workers in the city were killed in a span of five months.
Many others have been assaulted by their clients.
It had been difficult to get their grievances addressed because of society's and the authorities' negative perception of their work, leaving victims of abuse suffering, said Mary (not her real name).
“We formed the group to address our plight and uplift our lives.
Through the group, we have even secured lawyers who handle our cases whenever we have legal matters to deal with,” she said.
“The group helps us protect ourselves from exploitation and the risks that come with our work.”
The group has also embraced table banking as a way of helping its members to take better control of their lives and claim their rights.
