Male prostitution: Cops and high-profile figures deep in the trade

Our investigations on Nairobi city streets have also established that some cops and high-profile figures are involved in the business of male prostitution.

The male sex workers, popularly known as makuchu, walk in groups along city streets- some line up with female sex workers for clients. It is easy to spot them from their walking style, dressing, hairdo and nails.

In clubs, there is a finger sign that most clients are familiar with and will look out for before heading to the toilets to strike the deal.

Away from the streets, those who don’t want to be seen outside hunting for clients have identified specific clubs in the city centre.

When we arrived at a popular joint on Tsavo Road on a Wednesday afternoon, our source who happens to be a homosexual said, “We get more customers on the streets, but sometimes we fall into traps of cons, police officers and county askaris who besides extorting money, also want to sleep with us.”

Mark, another male sex worker who has been in the business since 1994, said he was introduced into homosexuality by a friend. “I was a hawker within Uhuru Park until a friend revealed to me how he made so much money from sleeping with white men who used to flood the recreational park then.”

He revealed that, “I’ve operated all over the city and even slept with high-profile figures. I’ve got a wife and two kids back home in Kitui, but nobody knows how I survive in the city.”