Monica worked as a night nurse in Nairobi’s Koinange Street for five years – and has lived to tell her sad story.
Nairobi is estimated to be home to over 150,000 prostitutes according to data from UNAID – and Monica was part of this statistics until 2019 when she decided to shake hands with one of the oldest professions in the world.
It all started in 2014 – or thereabout.
“I used to live in Nairobi with my husband whom I met in the city. Our marriage was tumultuous and was often on and off,” says Monica.
“I sought the help of my mother back in the village, like any daughter would. She invited me to travel back home and find a solution.
Monica travelled to the village with her two children. Her husband had left the house at the time – and that was the last time they would share a roof in Nairobi.
At the village, she had no idea what awaited her.
“I remember one morning when my mother asked me to accompany her to see this traditional healer who, according to her, was the solution to my problems,” she says.
The treatment regimen – ironically – included the medicine man sleeping with Monica – inside one of the dingy rooms laden with calabashes and other paraphernalia.
She says she had never cheated on her husband before – but here she was cheating with a man who was supposed to offer her a solution to salvage her marriage. The remedy didn’t work even though the man had sex with her three times.
It didn’t take long before her husband died.
“I travelled to my husband’s people so I could bury him, and probably live with them as their daughter in-law. It didn’t work because my husband grew up as an orphan – and had escaped to Nairobi in his teenage years. All the land his parents left behind was taken by his uncles. There was no land for me (his wife) to build a house and live in, so I left with my children.
Monica travelled back to Nairobi in 2015 – and was welcomed by his former neighbour who was a regular at Nairobi’s famous red-light street – the infamous Koinange.
“I had to get a job to feed my children. I had three at the time, and they needed food, medicine, shelter and clothes. They needed to go to school,” she told Mwanahabari.co.ke.
She went to Koinange street as a rookie – and had to learn the ropes.
The first ritual she needed to do to gain acceptance on the streets was to pay some Ksh500 registration fees.
“I paid the money to the old women – the veterans who had been at Koinange for decades they no longer felt shame entertaining men.
“They were kind to me – and would on many occasions loan me their customers as I worked hard to build my profile.
Monica worked on the streets as a prostitute for years – and had nasty experiences. At times she would spend cold nights in police cells – or in the hands of uncouth customers – most of them married to women they couldn’t entertain or love.
“There were married men who would come to me – and boldly explain to me their situation. A few would open up about their HIV positive status and would offer more money – and yes – we took the money knowing full well that they were sick.
“There is this hospital in Nairobi’s Donholm area where we would run to every morning for medication whenever we had engaged in unprotected sex with such customers,” she says.
My children kept praying
Monica’s children prayed for her whenever she left the house to go ‘hunting’. She still believes their prayers brought her back home from the ditch.
“My lady neighbour who introduced me to the business would reprimand my children for praying for me – arguing that it was likely to spoil my luck on the streets. She argued that there was no way God would watch over me – when I was busy selling my body along Koinange street.
I had taught them to pray.
“I would go to Koinange, but end up sleeping on the pavements the whole night. I found myself losing interest in the business. I still believe that their prayers made the difference for me,” she says.
It’s been two years since Monica left the streets. She currently works at construction sites, washing clothes for people in Nairobi’s Eastlands area.
“I tried my hand in fish business, but the pandemic affected everything,” says Monica, whose born child just finished her Standard Eight and is set to join Secondary.
“Life is tough, but I am not going back to prostitution. I have no idea what I will eat this evening, but God knows why he was removed from the street. He will feed me,” she concludes.