africa1l

The East African Standard

Tourists have sexually exploited more than 10,000 girls in the Coast Province, a
workshop was told yesterday.
Chief children's officer Maurice Tsuma termed the national figure of between
10,000 and 30,000 girls engaging in sex tourism "an under-estimation".

Mr Tsuma made the remarks at the Whitesands Hotel, Mombasa, where he
opened a two-day Unicef workshop on the code of conduct to protect children
from sex tourism.
He said sexual exploitation of children was rampant in Mombasa, Malindi and Kilifi.
Tsuma said criminals organised the trafficking of upcountry girls for prostitution
in tourist resorts at the Coast.
"There is trafficking of girls from upcountry to practise prostitution in the tourist
towns," he said.
Tsuma, who has worked as district children's officer in Mombasa and Malindi, said
the culprits were foreign and domestic tourists.
He said girls aged between 10 and 15 years were ferried from Western, Eastern
and other upcountry provinces in the pretext that they would be offered
household jobs.
Tsuma said some children reported missing could be the victims of human
trafficking.
But he said boys, too, were sexually exploited by elderly female tourists.
Malindi District Commissioner Jan Ireri said child prostitution was rampant in the
seaside resort town.
"Sexual exploitation is rampant owing to grinding poverty. Some parents
surrender their children to foreigners willing to sponsor their education," said
Ireri.
The DC said some foreigners took advantage of impoverished villagers by
sponsoring their children's education to sexually exploit them.
He said a 14-year-old Malindi girl was recently caught in a compromising situation
with a 70-year-old tourist at a tourist hotel.
A UK-based activist, Ms Christine Beddoe, said Kenya should accept that sex
tourism was happening and take action to eliminate it.
She urged children's officers and police to monitor activities in lodges and tourist
hideouts.