Bomet County alarmed by increasing number of sex workers

Commercial sex workers at a street in Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Bomet County is grappling with a high number of commercial sex workers in its urban centres.

County Commissioner Geoffrey Omonding said there are 3,000 commercial sex workers operating at various trading centres across the region.

Mr Omonding said investigations had revealed that the rising number was as a result of young girls dropping out of school due to early pregnancies.

He said most of those falling pregnant and dropping out of school find it hard to provide for their children and engage in commercial sex to make ends meet.

Omonding said a number of those who have been interrogated revealed that they left school as early as Class Eight.

“The girls engaging in the work do not hide that they dropped out of school after falling pregnant and found themselves in trading centres in an attempt to make ends meet,” he said.

He added that the twilight girls are operating in Sotik, Mogogosiek, Silibwet, Chenille, Bomet, Mulot and Kembu towns.

At the same time, the county commissioner noted that there was a growing trend of defilement and rape cases.

Omonding said the cases contributed to early pregnancies, adding that barely a week goes without an incident of defilement or rape being reported.

Worst, he noted were cases of sodomy on young boys that were high in Konoin Sub County.

Omonding said his office had launched a program to try and rehabilitate the twilight girls and ensure they go back to school.

“We want to have them engage in other income-generating activities and enrol back in school,” said Omonding.