Sex workers hold demo over death of colleague at popular nightclub
Dozens of sex workers in Mombasa demonstrated on Tuesday over the death of their colleague at a popular nightclub in the coastal town.
They marched from Moi Avenue to the deputy county commissioner’s office to demand for the arrest of culprits.
The body of their colleague, Martha Simiyu, was found inside a room in the popular club two weeks ago. She had entered into the room with a client only to be found dead the following day.
Her body lay in a pool of blood and had knife wounds.
The sex workers complained that three of their colleagues had died in the past three months in Mombasa and Mtwapa.
‘RAPE AND SODOMISE US’
“We have suffered a lot in the hands of our clients, who rape and sodomise us. We don’t have a place to run to. If we go to the police we are arrested. We just want justice,” said one of the sex workers.
They threatened to take action against the management of the club for failing to use the surveillance cameras to apprehend the suspect.
They added some clients refuse to pay them for the services and instead beat them up.
‘STOP KILLING US’
“It is not the first incident to happen. Last month, another colleague was killed. Police must do comprehensive investigation to arrest the culprits. We have urged the club to give us the CCTV material but they have refused. We are your sisters, brothers and mothers,… please stop killing us,” said the director of Coast Smart Women Against HIV/AIDS and Violence, Benta Joseph.
“The serial killer is at large. As human rights defenders we will ensure justice is done. The postmortem showed she was cut on the throat, breast and stabbed on her chest. We don’t know why the suspect has not been arrested yet there is CCTV at the club,” addedd Francis Auma.
According to the International Center for Reproductive Health (ICRH) that offers health services to sex workers, Mombasa has about 11, 500 sex workers including men.
