Eldoret sex workers have decried condom shortage following an influx of guests in Eldoret due to the ongoing 8th devolution conference that has attracted thousands of visitors from across the country.
It's a bittersweet moment for the sex workers as despite the huge number of clients many of the hotels and lodges within Eldoret are fully booked living them with no rooms to serve their clients.
“We are happy we have many visitors in town however there are no rooms left for us to entertain our guests," one of the sex workers said.
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They attributed the condom shortage to some of the Ministry of Health officers who have been selling free condoms provided by the government at a fee of Ksh500.
The sex workers have also complained of a lack of sex lubricants.
“We are being exploited by the MoH doctors, especially at the Uasin Gishu County Hospital. They are supposed to freely provide sex workers with enough condoms, however, that has not been happening. They are instead selling the condoms," Alice Saina, the Chairperson of the Eldoret Sex Alliance, said.
"We are unable to guarantee our clients their safety from any sexually transmitted diseases and we cannot protect ourselves either," she added.
The Eldoret Sex Alliance, with a membership of close to 10,000 members, has also complained of constant harassment from the county inspectorate service and is now pleading with Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii to introduce empowerment programs that will better their lives.
In the recent past, some of the sex workers have been found murdered inside lodges in Eldoret. Police have been blamed for not bringing to book those involved in criminal acts.
“We have several hotspots where our girls offer their services in Eldoret. However, many are being targeted for harassment and some have even been killed. Police are not treating such cases with the seriousness it deserves," Siana added.
The ongoing 8th devolution conference has attracted over 10,000 visitors with over 90 per cent of the Hotels in Eldoret fully booked.
