Confessions: An illicit affair led me into prostitution Kenyan woman

Friday night at around 8pm I board a matatu headed to town from Mombasa Road. Along the way, a lady boards the same matatu, she appears drunk.

However, every other thing about her shows she is well put together. Her face – pretty – is of chocolate complexion, a bit slim with long legs in a short blue denim skirt.

She also wore a black sleeveless linen top, apparently over nothing at all.

With her was a handbag and paper bag; seemingly from a boutique.

She takes a seat directly opposite me and settles in before her phone rings.

She picks it, “Hello, yes you are speaking to Joyce (not her real name). Yes, I do that. All services you would like depending on your money. No, I don’t take anything less than Sh1000. No, I won’t take that. Add some amount, and then give me a call,” she hangs up.

I get curious after eavesdropping on that phone conversation. I relocate to an unoccupied seat next to her and strike a conversation.

After gaining her trust, Joyce opens up to me about her life.

“I am a mother of two kids aged 5 and 2 and a hairdresser by profession operating a salon in town. I also sell my body in exchange for money,” she narrates.

She has my attention; I ask why she would engage in such a business if her salon is doing well.

Joyce smiles and looks at me, “you don’t understand what I am going through, and have passed through. But am going to tell you.”

“Both my kids were sired by one man – he was my boyfriend six years ago and we had dated for one year before I got pregnant with my first child, who is now 5.”

“After I gave birth, the man stopped visiting me and checking up on us; he literally reduced seeing me from at least 5 days a week to at times zero days a week!” she says using hand signals and looking regretful.

“When I confronted him later, he told me he was married and was going to relocate with his family from Nairobi. My son was 2 then,” she said.

“My world stopped for a minute; I did not know that this man was married all through. He had rented me a house that goes for 25k a month and was fully providing for me. Now I was going to start fending for myself. Jobless, used to easy life,” she continues.

“Starting it all, I joined a local religious radio station as presenter since I had studied Journalism in college.”

“However, since they were not paying me, the bills became overwhelming and I had to quit and look for a job that could pay my bills. That is when I taught myself how to plait,” she adds.

“But I realized the money I got from salon wasn’t enough to cater for my needs. It is at that point I started selling my body to high-end clientele,” she revealed.

“My first clients were my then boyfriend’s best friends. They paid me up to Sh5000 per session,” Joyce continues.

“My boyfriend reappeared for a seminar one year later in Nairobi, and we spent t a night together; that day I conceived my second son, who is now 2,” she said.

“He later cut links with me. With two sons all depending on me, I had to up my game; set my threshold price high for clients; that is how my minimum fee of Sh1000 for a sex session came up.”

“I am a commercial sex worker, but not a cheap one who parades herself on the streets; my clients are rich and I can even go for days without serving a man since the money I get from three is just but enough to run me through the week,” Joyce continues.

When I ask her if she has any regrets, she quickly responds, “No, not at all. This complements my salon job, and when I am free or called by a client I would go. Though I wouldn’t sleep with a man without protection – never!”

“Take a look at my handbag; how many packs of condoms can you see?”

“I will only stop commercial sex work when I become a millionaire!” she chuckles cheekily, and tells me, “Now see, I have been bought for these shoes going for Sh2000 by a client just today.

That’s how much I enjoy this job. We are many in this business – if you have a girlfriend in Nairobi, don’t be surprised she could be one of us.”

Joyce digs into her handbag and passes her ‘business’ card to me, “have this number, anytime you would need my services, call me,” and then she quickly alights at the bus stage.

I was left shocked.