Sex workers’ Lobby raises concern over their security.

 By Dickson Odhiambo.

September 1, 2017.

Sex workers’ Lobby raises concern over their security.

A Group of sex workers have raised concerns over the issue of their safety and security during their work.

Through their group Known as Kisumu Sex Workers Alliance {KISWA}, the sex workers from Kisumu and Kisii Counties said a number of them are being harassed while in the line of their duties.

Speaking during a security meeting in Kisumu on Thursday, Kisumu Sex Workers Alliance Director Dotty Agala said even during the recent post poll protests in Kisumu and parts of Nyanza region, some sex workers were harassed during the protests by various people including the police.

She says some of the sex workers lost their valuables like phones and monies which were taken away from them.

She says they are now majorly concerned with their security and safety even during this period of Presidential Election petition which has been  determined today by the Supreme Court under Chief Justice David Maraga. 

They urge the police to ensure that they are safe and their lives and property are protected just like any other Kenyan.

They say they hope to be safe during this period of the Presidential election petition and thereafter regardless of the outcome of the petition.

“We are majorly concerned with the issue of our safety and security in a meeting we have held especially during the post poll protest and during this presidential election petition period and want to ensure that sex workers are safe and secure wherever they are and our meeting is to get assurance from the security forces that we will also be secure,” she says.

She says the Alliance will continue to sensitize sex workers across the region on the issues of their safety and their security.

Agala says they have a hot line number which the sex workers can use to call whenever they have issues of safety and security.

She urges the sex workers not to go to unknown areas even if they get clients in those unknown places whenever they feel they are not safe and secure.

 “Article 29 of the Constitution talks about right to freedom and security of a person and just like any other Kenyan, we should get protection from the state security and we have told this to the police who attended our meeting on sensitizing our members on their safety and security,” she adds.

Lucy Wambui, a lawyer who works with the Kenya Sex Workers Alliance {KESWA} which is an umbrella body that encompasses Community Based Organizations which advocates for the rights of sex workers in the country says they do a lot of advocacy at the national level and works with such CBOs at the grass root level to sensitize sex workers on their rights.

She says KESWA always have an input on policies affecting sex workers across the country.

Wambui adds that they also do a lot of capacity building on the sex workers through their various CBOs at the grass root level across the country.

She says there are a number of cases of sex workers who have been harassed, raped and even murdered in various regions across the country.

She says they have even received cases of security personnel including the police and even the County Government askaris harassing the sex workers.

She urges the newly elected Lawmakers in both Houses of Parliament to ensure that when making laws, they should ensure that they think about the sex workers and make policies which also include their concerns.

She adds that the sex workers should also be consulted and participates in dialoguing on policies which will affect their lives just like any other Kenyans.

“Other than capacity building of sex workers, we also do funds mobilizations for the CBOs which deal with the issues of sex workers,” she says.

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