An organization working with commercial sex workers in Narok is seeking over 50,000 pieces of condoms ahead of next month’s Madaraka Day celebrations which will be held at the town for the first time.
The organization known as Family Aids Initiative Response (FAIR), wants the relevant government agencies to increase the supply of the protection gear ahead of the fete which is set to attract about 30,000 visitors.
However, area county commissioner George Natembeya warned the commercial sex workers against engaging in criminal activities such as drugging their clients or stealing from them.
"Sex workers are Kenyans like any other and therefore they are welcomed to grace the occasion and this should not restrict anyone from attending the event. So women should not deny their husbands to attend the event simply because there are sex workers," Mr Natembeya said.
The organization’s officials led by their representatives Marion Awiti and Allan Pasiany said there are about 3,000 sex workers across the county and with the coming event, the number is expected to double thus the need to increase the number of condoms.
“Normally, these sex workers fluctuate in number depending on the season. Like here in Narok they flock during the wheat harvest and during the wildebeests' migration in the Masai Mara as from July and now during events like the coming Madaraka Day celebrations,” said Ms Awiti.
The FAIR official said they were working with Narok County government in ensuring that the supply of the contraceptives was a success during the event in a bid to combat the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
On his part, Mr Pasiany revealed that normally their clients(sex workers)use at least 30,000 pieces of male condoms a month but since the prostitutes will be expecting a business boom due to the high number of visitors, there was need to increase the supply.
Addressing the press at her office area Health CEC Vivian Mpeti exuded confidence that the county will be able to supply enough protection adding that already the county has distributed over 5,000 pieces of condoms to hotels and entertainment joints.
“As per the Narok County HIV strategic Plan of 2017, we are committed to cutting the new HIV infection whose prevalence is now at 2.7 per cent through preventive measures,” said the county health official.
Since the beginning of this month, the number of people has increased with about 1,000 security personnel from different cadres such as police, Kenya Army, NYS and prisons officers already in town conducting parade exercise ahead of the national event.
Ms Mpeti also intimated that the public health technical officers have been dispatched at major hotels in town to ensure that all the cooks and those handling food meet the recommended health standards to curb the outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera.
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