Prostitution in Kenya
Encyclopedia
Prostitution in Kenya is illegal. However, many foreign men and women indulge in sex tourism
, which is thriving at resorts along Kenya
's coast. Thousands of girls and boys are involved in full-time child prostitution
due to poverty in the region. According to UNICEF "Many families see the sex industry as the only way of putting food on the table." The Kenyan government is trying to stamp out these sexual activities.
word for 'prostitute' is malaya.
When christian missionaries started to impose western moral values on African tribal structures in colonial Africa, they created instability, including the need for men to spend long periods away from home. In this context the malaya arose, providing 'home comforts' away from home, or for men unable to afford the brideprice.
At night, European male tourists visit Mombasa
's clubs to meet young Kenyans. The girls often wear high heels and pay a bribe to get into the clubs. The typical client, a Mzungu, or a white man, will generally pay 5 times more for sex than a Kenyan labourer can earn in a day.
In 2006, a study by UNICEF reported that approximately 30% of the population of children aged between 12 and 18 were engaged in some form of sex work.
This booming trade in sex tourism goes on
with the Kenyan Tourism Police's full knowledge. They do not want to discourage the hundreds of thousands of white tourists from coming to Kenya’s coast, regardless of the damage it does to young Kenyans.
Sex tourism
Sex tourism is travel to engage in sexual activity with prostitutes.The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, defines sex tourism as "trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary...
, which is thriving at resorts along Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
's coast. Thousands of girls and boys are involved in full-time child prostitution
due to poverty in the region. According to UNICEF "Many families see the sex industry as the only way of putting food on the table." The Kenyan government is trying to stamp out these sexual activities.
Prostitution in Kenyan society
The SwahiliSwahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
word for 'prostitute' is malaya.
When christian missionaries started to impose western moral values on African tribal structures in colonial Africa, they created instability, including the need for men to spend long periods away from home. In this context the malaya arose, providing 'home comforts' away from home, or for men unable to afford the brideprice.
Sex Tourism on Kenya's Coast
The ministry for tourism in Kenya has been severely criticised because of its lack of response to the booming sex tourism and child exploitation on the Kenyan coast,At night, European male tourists visit Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
's clubs to meet young Kenyans. The girls often wear high heels and pay a bribe to get into the clubs. The typical client, a Mzungu, or a white man, will generally pay 5 times more for sex than a Kenyan labourer can earn in a day.
In 2006, a study by UNICEF reported that approximately 30% of the population of children aged between 12 and 18 were engaged in some form of sex work.
This booming trade in sex tourism goes on
with the Kenyan Tourism Police's full knowledge. They do not want to discourage the hundreds of thousands of white tourists from coming to Kenya’s coast, regardless of the damage it does to young Kenyans.
Related articles
- Tourism in KenyaTourism in KenyaThe tourist industry in Kenya is the 2nd largest source of foreign exchange revenue followed by agriculture. The main tourist attractions are photo safaris through the 19 national parks and game preserves. Other attractions include the mosques at Mombasa; the renowned scenery of the Great Rift...
- Outline of KenyaOutline of KenyaThe Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa.Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda plus Lake Victoria , and South Sudan . The capital city is Nairobi, 2nd largest in Africa . Kenya spans an area about 85% the size of France or...
- Index of Kenya-related articles
External links
- Sex Tourism
- Sex tourism booming in Kenya
- Older white women join Kenya's sex tourists
- Older, white women join Kenya's sex tourism
History
- Prostitution, Identity, and Class Consciousness in Nairobi during World War II. Luise White. Signs. Vol. 11, No. 2 (Winter, 1986), pp. 255-273
- Women's domestic labor in colonial Kenya: Prostitution in Nairobi, 1909-1950. Luise White, Boston University 1980