Shame of schoolgirls flocking Makutano town to trade in sex

Once in a while, like the way wildebeests migrate from Tanzania into Kenya and back through Serengeti, scores of underage schoolgirls absconding classes troop to Makutano town situated at the border of Kirinyaga and Embu counties to trade in sex.

The girls are mostly from schools in Murang'a, Machakos, Nyeri, Embu, and Kirinyaga counties with a few from Kiambu and Meru counties.

The girls drop out of school, run away from home and flock to this town to start their livelihood as sex workers and in the process getting hooked to dangerous criminal networks.

Vulnerable, the girls suffer all manner of abuses, violence and molestation by their seniors with street thugs and rogue officers demanding free service as a form of indoctrination and acceptance into the town.

Despite countless whistle-blowing by area residents and hitting media headlines, area security has been accused for the umpteenth time, that it lacks seriousness to address the matter that is an eyesore, moral decay, indecent and that which compromises the security.

The town's allure is fast cash in the hands of agricultural brokers, gamblers, narcotic, and illicit brew dealers and oil siphoning cartels.

"We have tried our level best to fight this sad state of affairs. It is very painful to see schoolgirls reporting to this town while in uniform, proceed to book themselves into brothels and start a life as underage commercial sex workers," said Mr Joseph Muinde who serves as Anglican Church Elder.

Former Regional Commissioner Mr Evans Achoki is among those who have in the past three(3) months received tips of the grave happenings in this small town.

"Yes, I was made aware. I have been sharing the same with ground teams and action should follow," Mr Achoki said.

As action delays, distraught parents continue to flock the town in search of their errant daughters trapped in sex, narcotics, gambling, and oil trades.

"I have come to this town three(3) times in search of my daughter who dropped out of Form Two in Murang'a South Sub-County. There are about 200 rooms that serve as brothels in this town and it is hard to get her," said *Praxidis, a distraught parent.

Praxidis is not her real name. We decided not to reveal her real name because of the sensitivity of the matter.

She said that she reported the matter to Makutano Police Station "but the officers there accused me of neglecting my parental duty of bringing up the girl... They told me to go and report to my village chief to help me get her back".

*Praxidis lamented that “elderly sex workers who sympathised with me promised to trace the girl for me”.

There are allegations that police in the are get Sh50 per day from every sex worker as protection fee.

She said her search for her daughter ended in a near tragedy three(3) months later when she was called to nearby hospital.

"My daughter had procured an abortion and she was bleeding uncontrollably. It is God, prayers and healthcare workers who saved her life. She had her uterus removed and will never get children because of this graveyard called Makutano of her dreams," she said.

There are five brothels in the town--three(3) in Embu part and the other two(2) in the Kirinyaga side.

Former Mwea Deputy County Commissioner Ms Jane Manene said "yes, we were always aware of the grave situation in this town and we were dealing with it until I got transferred".

She said that “I had personally started making rounds in the town and it is true there are brothels”.

What I am yet to understand is who licenses them," Ms Manene said.

Ms Manene said there was an action plan that was to be rolled out in the town "so as to rid it off impunity of alcoholic trade that she said encourages other vices to boom".

Residents who spoke to AVDelta News blamed area police of protecting illegalities in the town "and in the process making us to be host to graveyard of young girls' future".

Bishop Patricia Mwangangi of The New Times Ministries said it is the high time government officers in this town behaved like family people.

"We see some of these officers are family heads with daughters the age of the schoolgirls who come to Makutano. It is not right for them to pursue bribes instead of refusing minor sex trade," Bishop Mwangangi said.

Ms Mwangangi said she has heard some of the officers complaining that they decided to be taking bribes from the brothels after those arrested started getting released on lenient terms by the courts.

"I would suggest that the security committee petition the judiciary about the fight against crime in this town. They need a common front. But police should not resort to taking bribes in protest," she said.

According to the Mwea Sub-County Police Boss Chrispinus Omongini, the claims of police bribery to protect the cartels will be investigated and action taken if found to be true.

"We cannot want to imagine that is the case. It would be distressing to imagine. But we are going to investigate. Meanwhile, we will launch raids aimed at neutering all the negativities of this town," Mr Omongini said.