My client refused to pay for sex

Dear Fida-Kenya,

I am a commercial sex worker who operates along Argwings Kodhek Road in Nairobi. A man approached me for my services and we agreed he would pay me Sh1,000 for short time sex. He refused to pay me after receiving the service, despite admitting that my services were good. I

 have recordings of our conversations (on phone) from when he was bargaining, our agreement of the amount he was to pay, up to the time he kicked me out of his car. He is a prominent man and I don’t know how I can go about this issue. I want him to pay dearly. What are my legal rights or should I expose him on the Internet?

Charlotte, Nairobi

Dear Charlotte,

Although commercial sex work is not expressly outlawed in the Kenyan Penal Code, Chapter 63 of the Laws of Kenya, the practice of commercial sex work is still considered illegal.

The agreement between you and that man is, therefore, illegal.

An illegal agreement cannot be enforced where one of the parties to the agreement has refused to honour it. In your case, therefore, you have no legal rights of claiming your money from that man within our legal system.

You also have the discretion to choose whether or not to expose him on the Internet. However, you stand the risk of that man suing you for defamation of character should he find out about it.