From bedroom toys to virtual relationships: Inside Thika's closed-door pleasure boom

A woman identified as Beatrice Waitherero Irungu is accused of operating a brothel within Thika. [Courtesy]

The discovery of vibrators, dildos, butt plugs, massage oils, computers and ring lights during a police raid in Thika on June 22, 2024, has reignited a conversation that many Kenyans would rather avoid in public but actively engage in private.

When detectives stormed a rented house in Chania One Estate, Ngoigwa, and arrested Beatrice Waitherero Irungu, accused of operating a brothel, the assortment of items recovered painted a picture of a changing landscape of sexuality in Kenya.