Malindi’s alluring nightlife

By Hans

All over the world, women and men offer their bodies in return for money, jewellery, a luxurious lifestyle and even to permanent residence abroad.

Prostitution has been around for centuries. Think about Paris and London around 1860 to 1920. Rich men entertained women, who had cultural salons, frequented by the crËme de la crËme of the society.

In Amsterdam’s red light district, girls of all colours and shapes are sit in window boxes along the centuries old canals, waiting for customers who walk by and see what is on offer.

Those girls are all registered. They have a special ID card, get regular medical check ups for free, and pay taxes (unlike our politicians).

And Kenya we are not behind in such matters. Exploring nightlife in Malindi’s Stardust Disco, Mombasa’s Florida/Tembo Disco and in some Nairobi’s clubs along Koinange Street, one has to be blind not to see the girls preying on men, especially foreigners.

Mzungu is loaded

The notion is that the mzungu is loaded, lonely and willing to pay for sex. But it is not a secret that our Kenyan brothers also have the cash and need the services. Let’s face it, there are only so many white men around, and the girls would be out of business if they were totally dependent on the whites.

In Malindi, Kilifi, Mtwapa and Mombasa, the situation is a bit different. Being tourist towns, white men and women looking for romantic partners for the night or longer are common. Such men are commonly referred to as toy boys, but this is a story for another day.

Some times back I decided to check the disco scene and what kinds of ladies are the

re. I must insist that not all ladies at discos and out looking for sex, some just want to have a good time. Unlike most places, Malindi comes alive after midnight and I must say I wasn’t disappointed.

The girls were beautiful and majority were dressed to impress. Quite a few of them would look out of place at any international fashion show or film premiere.

monthly allowances

Most of those beauties were attached to one or more white men, who I came to learn, entice them with monthly allowances for their upkeep. The girls, however, are another picture altogether during the day. They are so decent, cool and calm that unless one is keen you wouldn’t imagine they were the ones you saw at night.

Life as a commercial sex worker is not easy. Besides family demands, the girls have to spend quite a lot of their hard earned money on themselves. Every night they have to look their best to be ahead of the competition.

And even when they are lucky to find a companion, he may turn out to be an old man, the age of their grandfather. It is worse when some clients reject any call for safe sex.

It is not surprising that even with their good earnings, very few hit the jackpot or end up with rich men. Most spend their money as soon as they receive it and drown their difficult lives in drugs and alcohol. Sadly for many, it is the only way they know to make a living.