“Times have changed, we need to acknowledge the fact that our kids are already engaging in sex”, says Wanjiku* who has a teenage daughter. With the closure of schools, the number of teenagers engaging in sex has risen.

Cynthia, a young mother to tell us her story; “In March, when schools were closed, we were excited that we would be spending the remaining time of the term at home. During the first month of the pandemic, my parents were quite strict on me and my brother moving around so we had no other choice but to stay at home.

After a couple of weeks, they were lenient and allowed us to leave the house but not later than 6 pm due to the curfew that had been imposed. During this time, I met this man. He was really friendly and he would take me back home at the end of the day. He told me he was still in university.

Vulnerable women such as sex workers are most affected by the lockdown. With bars being closed they are left with no other choice but to bring the client in their homes or even go to their client’s house. This puts sex workers at great risk of being abused.

A standard surgical mask goes for 100 Kenyan shillings; the basic requirements stipulate that a mask should not be worn twice. With most sex workers living from hand to mouth and the rise of Kenya’s economy, it is quite difficult to maintain this.