Much has been said and talked about Mlolongo town and how prostitution thrives here.
Confessions by people who have visited this town, reveal that prostitution is the order of the day in the town that borders Nairobi and Machakos Counties.
One of the areas where prostitution thrives is ‘Madharau Street’.
But what makes Mlolongo among the county’s notable prostitution paradises?
Lazarus Musyoka, a youth leader and social worker in Athi River, says the town’s strategic location is to blame for high prostitution.
Musyoka says that the town is located on a busy Nairobi- Mombasa highway making it a hive for the illicit sex trade.
He also notes that the weighbridge has also made the town known for its commercial sex activities.
“Mlolongo is the place where long distance heavy trucks are weighed before they are allowed to proceed to Nairobi and Western Kenya,” he says.
Musyoka says long-distance truck drivers who are often sexually starved for sending many days on the rod easily fall for the sex workers.
“The weighbridge in itself is the main cause of high prostitution,” he adds.
1. Poverty
The social worker notes poverty as the other key cause of high prostitution.
He says that majority of girls are forced into prostitution by their parents and guardians out of poverty.
“Things are heard and for many to put food on the table, their girls and women are forced to sell their bodies,” he says.
2. Poor parental hood
Musyoka notes that lack of counseling and proper parenthood has seen young girls fall to commercial sex workers in Mlolongo.
He says that girls some who are underage are involved in the illicit sex trade.
“Some parents have failed to mentor their young girls making them vulnerable to prostitution,” he said.
3. Pressure to get rich
The social worker says that some girls and women are engaging in commercial sex work to get rich.
4. Unemployment
According to Musyoka, lack of jobs is the main cause of prostitution in Mlolongo.
He observes that some girls and women engaging in prostitution are learned people some with Degrees and Masters Degrees but are forced to do commercial sex because there are no jobs.
“Go the streets and you will find some of the well-educated women who are forced to sale their bodies,” he said.
According to Stella Mbaluku, a public health worker in Athi River, cases of HIV infection are high in Mlolongo and adjacent areas.
She says that majority of sex workers don't protective measures while engaging in the trade.
“The statistics are worrying and we fear for these young women who are in these illicit trade,” she said.
This comes as claims emerge that Mlolongo prostitutes are now turning to witch doctors to help them keep customers as a result of high competition.
#MyLifestyle