Likoni is one of the towns in the South Coast of Mombasa City notorious for prostitution. However, with the invasion of bedbugs in the brothels, things are changing.
A number of towns in the South Coast region are thriving hubs for sex business, with a good example being just after you cross the Likoni ferry, where sex soldiers will welcome and make you feel at home.
Past Likoni is Diani, which is a home of tourists. Some ladies visit Diani for a chance of a landing a 'mzungu' guy end up engaging in the business after failing on their option A's.
Cutting the long story short, it has come to the limelight that commercial sex business in Likoni is reaping low yields because of bedbugs in most of the rooms meant for the services. There is plenty of 'clients' and other 'stakeholders' in the business but things are not working out.
Last week on Friday, I personally used the Likoni ferry to cross on my way to Ukunda at around 11 pm. Some guys could be heard joking about a major brothel in the region.
"Hapa siwezi enda ata kama nimetoka nimekaa jela miaka kumi, kunguni kibao mjomba (With bedbugs at the place I cannot consider visiting regardless of any situation)," said one guy Identified as Juma.
Still on the same conversation, I was eavesdropping, another guy who identified the first guy as Juma responded in laughter "Kumbe wewe pia unajua haya masaibu ya hapa masikani? Niliumwa mwanangu, (Oh.. so you went through the same problems my friend?)"
Due to curiosity, I decided to pass through the brothel before connecting to a bus stage. The ladies at the narrow brothel's corridors were begging me for their services with some saying "aki niliingia six na sijapata mteja bado, hadi sijakula supper bado (I came here at around 6 pm but I haven't landed any client, so if you don't mind let me secure supper from you)"
It is now clear that bedbugs are some of the problems facing Likoni sex workers.
If your house has ever been infested with these pests, you can guess how bad situations can be in such brothels.
The rooms charge as little as 50/ for a 'quickie', a clear indication of the level of comfort in the rooms is almost zero