Sex workers in Nairobi. [PHOTO/the-star.co.ke]
The Atheists in Kenya (AIK) group has protested banning of commercial sex by the Nairobi County Assembly last week.
This is after Nairobi MCAs unanimously passed a Bill to prohibit the trade that was on the rise in the city.
While terming the legislation as retrogressive, AIK said that the law violates human and civil rights of those workers in the commercial sex trade.
“We are asking the Nairobi County Assembly to repeal this law within 14 days, or face unspecified action aimed at protecting the rights of prostitutes in Nairobi,” said AIK president Harrison Muia in a statement.
He argued that no legislation has ever banned prostitution successfully, further suggesting that the MCAs should instead work towards legalising it.
“Nobody’s human or civil rights should be violated on the basis of their trade, occupation, work, calling or profession,” Muia’s statement read.
“Sex work is not going to disappear anytime soon; so instead of banning prostitution, we should work towards making it a fully legal industry. We believe that this is what most sex workers want as well,” the statement further read.