People with disabilities are not just discriminated at workplaces. Few are lucky to get lovers, forcing the men to seek solace from night nurses.
In Majengo where sex workers provide accommodation for their services, the charge is Sh100 per session or slightly higher if there are preparation challenges.
“They are brought by their caretakers who place them on the bed then leave. While a normal shot takes at most five minutes, men with serious disabilities can take more than 10 minutes. We don’t charge them extra for that though,” said a sex worker.
“The physically challenged and the deaf are not hard to handle but, those who are blind present a challenge. We rarely get such customers, but when they agree to our terms, we have a way of satisfy them,” says another ‘night nurse’ who operates in downtown.
But servicing the disabled is not always smooth, as Lucy*, a long-time sex worker, found out in 2004.
“A man drove up to where I was standing in the city centre and kept following me. I gave in. He paid Sh4,000 promptly, but I left that money with my colleague as we drove to his Mlolongo house. I was however shocked when he removed his artificial legs then whipped out a gun. He had sex with me for two days without protection,” she recalled.
Others narrated their struggles in the hands of deaf, strong men who they say refuse to back down until they are satisfied even if they only paid for a single session.
“They pin us down firmly and even if you scream it is of no help. We end up fighting or allow them do as they wish. I suspect some normal men masquerade as deaf to take advantage of us,” said a Parklands-based sex worker.
There are also sex workers who service chokora, in spite of the, uh, breathing challenges that come with a stinky ride.
In Korogocho, sex goes for as little as Sh50 especially for men who eke out a living at the Dandora dumpsite.
“Of the charges Sh20 goes towards buying soap and water to shower afterwards. Even if they are regarded as chokora they need sex. We can’t ignore them yet they can afford it,” a sex worker in Korogocho said.