Nairobi's brothels and experience with sex workers

Published: 3rd July 2026

I once visited a brothel at the height of the pandemic when curfew was still 10pm in 2021. I was a loser 22y.o. virgin by then who had zero style and zero confidence. I'd only had one girlfriend at 17 and we only went as far as kissing before I found out she had a baby whom I couldn't support so she left for another man. Back to the brothel, I first went to KM. A friend of mine used to chipod KU girls there but I couldn't even open. Like what do you even say? I wanna have sex with you no strings attached? Then I went online but the prices were too high for me. I didn't have 1k to spend let alone 1k for sex.Then I found out about the Githurai brothels. I first went there just for reconnaissance. Big booty women, a few with small booties, and almost each one of them light-skinned lined up outside the pubs. Those, I found out later, were the ones who had a pimp. Others were in dark corners all alone. Those ones propositioned me and cat-called me when I passed there. Some would lift their dresses up and one of them even shouted her price at me. "Soo kitu ya haraka" Most of them who were in the dark corners alone were old probably because they can't fetch money for a pimp. I could even spot one who looked 50. Some of the prostitutes were high on drugs. Others were carrying small black paper bags probably full of miraa, and yes, they can't wash their mouth before they give you a BJ unless you pay for the miraa they spit. I could hear some of them talking in deep Kyuk accents so I could tell some had not grown up in Nairobi. What shocked me when I went round a second time was there were two police officers , one was female and they were actually "guarding" the place. On the first two days I just walked around the area. I could now tell what the system was from the outside. Spot a girl you want, take her hand and go into the brothels/ pub / wherever they worked from. On the third day, I saw a gorgeous young damsel whom I thought could actually make the experience less unpleasant. I sat by a bench opposite the shop where she had stood with her workmates. Another young man joined me and we struck up a conversation before I asked him what I really wanted to know. "How much would it cost me?" "kshs.200", he said. That was affordable. I then gathered some courage and approached the young girl and whispered to her, "niaje, nataka BJ". She seemed stunned then she said, "hee hapana". I was a bit confused but I kept pressing since I was already there. "Ntalipa, pesa sii shida", I pleaded while mentally referring to the kshs.500 I had been prepared to lose. She glanced over at the others who were keen to hear what our conversation was about but obviously couldn't hear since I was practically whispering into her ears. She then looked back and I continued, "I'll wear a condom." She seemed even more stunned and she said, "Hapana. Hata siko kazi sai". I then felt like shit. Even a prostitute had turned me down? I also later realized the ones who have pimps don't actually give BJs as a rule and that BJs are more expensive than penetration! I did go into one of the dens eventually and even paid and that ended with the woman telling me to look for a girlfriend.