Residents in Likoni, Mombasa County, have raised concerns over the rise in teenage prostitution in the constituency.
The residents said the issue needs to be addressed urgently as it is leading to moral decay among teenage girls.
The residents, majority of whom are parents, said young girls parade themselves along the streets to attract men who pay them a small amount of money to engage in sex.
Rajab, a parent, said some of the girls accept even as little as 50 shillings.
“Most men use the streets during the evening hours when the main route is crowded. What surprises me most is that the young girls pull men and whisper the prices into their ears as a way of convincing them,” said Rajab.
“The cheap price they demand clearly shows how desperate these girls are. I doubt if they benefit in anyway from the little they earn,” he added.
Rajab, who is a father of two, said one of his greatest fears is his daughters joining the trade, as they are almost the same age as those who parade themselves on the streets.
He attributed the menace to mushrooming of pubs in the area, as the young girls target men who frequent the liquor joints.
Miss Halima Athman, a mother of three who hawks food stuffs along the Likoni Ferry channel, said the prostitues usually operate till 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning, thus capturing the attention of students who use the route on a daily basis.
“As a parent, the girls really annoy me as they even fight in public, disrupting residents as they head to work. However, I am more concerned about the students who witness this drama every morning,” said Halima.
She however said the sex workers do not hail from Mombasa, adding that they come from neighbouring counties.
A few months ago, Likoni OCPD Willy Simba promised to launch a crackdown on the prostitutes, but the operation is yet to bear fruits.