Activists hold demos over sex worker's deaths

Human rights activists and locals protest against a spate of killings targeting commercial sex workers, on Kanu Street in Nakuru on October 12, 2015. They asked the police to ensure safety of the group following the mystery killings. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • In Nakuru, where four such killings took place, the victims were strangled and their heads skinned. The bodies were found naked, with their clothes placed neatly beside them.
  • National Movement for Sex Workers Alliance official Grace Kamau said Nakuru was leading in the number of such killings witnessed in the past week.

Human rights activists Monday held protests on Kanu Street in Nakuru Town over what they called ritual killings of seven commercial sex workers in different towns.

They asked the police to ensure safety of the group following the mystery killings.

In Nakuru, where four such killings took place, the victims were strangled and their heads skinned. The bodies were found naked, with their clothes placed neatly beside them.

One of the victims had her eyes gouged out and her nose, tongue and ears chopped off.

Her colleagues could only identify the body by the clothes besides it.

The other three murders were in Kisii, Nyahururu and Nanyuki towns.

On Monday, the protesters — among them residents and other commercial sex workers — called for the arrest of people behind the killings.

NAKURU LEADING IN KILLINGS
National Movement for Sex Workers Alliance official Grace Kamau said Nakuru was leading in the number of such killings witnessed in the past week.

Ms Kamau said they have reported the cases to relevant police stations but no action has been taken so far.

“A number of commercial sex workers have been violated and the cases have been reported to the police but nothing has been done. All we have are the OB (Occurrence Book) numbers,” she said.

In Nyahururu Town, the body of Eunice Wanjku Njuguna, 29, was found in the room, which she had booked with an unknown man on Saturday night.

She lived in the populous Maina village on the outskirts of Nyahururu Town, according to the area chief Joseph Muraya.

The body was taken to Nyahururu District Hospital mortuary by police.

Police declared, on Monday, they would hold owners of lodgings where such killings occur responsible for the crime if they fail to produce particulars of the suspected clients.

Nyandarua North OCPD Morris Assila told the proprietors that they were required to keep details of all people who board in their premises.