Sex Workers Demand Equal Protection as Killings and Violence Persist in Nairobi

By John Kariuki

Sex worker rights organisation SWOP Ambassadors has renewed calls for urgent legal and institutional reforms, warning that the continued criminalization of sex work in Kenya is directly fuelling violence against women and denying survivors access to justice.

Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi on December 17 to mark the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, the organisation released data showing the scale of violence faced by women in sex work. According to SWOP Ambassadors, 27 women engaged in sex work were murdered in Nairobi in 2025 alone, while at least 345 cases of violence against sex workers were documented across the city.

“These are not just numbers,” the organisation said. “They represent women whose lives were lost or harmed in silence, often because seeking help feels more dangerous than surviving the abuse.”

SWOP Ambassadors argued that laws criminalizing consensual adult sex work have created conditions that enable violence. By labeling sex workers as criminals, the organisation said, the law effectively excludes them from police protection, healthcare, and justice. Survivors who report abuse often face arrest, harassment, or retaliation, while perpetrators act with impunity.

The organisation noted that sex workers routinely experience violence from clients, police officers, and strangers, with little protection from the legal system. It cited cases where evidence goes missing, police files disappear, and influential perpetrators are shielded through corruption or political connections. As a result, rapists and killers remain free, families are denied justice, and cycles of violence continue.

SWOP Ambassadors also expressed concern over the delayed release of the Presidential Taskforce report on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. Sex workers had submitted testimonies and data to the taskforce, but more than a year later, the report has yet to be made public.

“The silence is a broken promise to women, to families of victims, and to the public,” the organisation said, adding that any national response to gender-based violence that excludes sex workers cannot be effective or inclusive.

The group called for the immediate release of the taskforce report and demanded that sex workers’ experiences be officially acknowledged and used to inform public policy. It also urged the repeal of Sections 153 and 154 of the Penal Code, which criminalize consensual adult sex work, arguing that the provisions do not prevent violence but instead push survivors further into danger.

According to SWOP Ambassadors, decriminalization is not about special treatment but about ensuring the basic right to report violence without fear of arrest. Drawing on more than a decade of frontline work, the organisation emphasized that legal reform must be accompanied by stronger oversight of police conduct, adequate funding for healthcare and courts, and accountability for abusers, including those in positions of power.

The organisation also appealed to the media to report on sex work and violence responsibly. Journalists were urged to avoid portraying sex work itself as violence, to seek consent before naming survivors, and to respect requests for anonymity. SWOP Ambassadors said it is willing to support ethical reporting by facilitating safe interviews and providing access to verified data and anonymized case files.

In its closing message, the organisation said criminalization has failed, punishing survivors while protecting abusers. It reaffirmed its commitment to supporting survivors through hospitals, police stations, and courts, documenting violations, and advocating for reform.

“Ending violence against women in sex work requires equal protection under the law, accountability from state institutions, and the political will to act,” the organisation said.