Community Tourism Raises Fears of Child Prostitution in Kenya

Kenyans fear that community tourism project centers will easily become centers of child prostitutes . Already promotional material from tour operators are hinting at much more than meets the eye.

Kenyan tourism industry is now edging closer to becoming a sex industry with the introduction of the so-called community tourism. What are even raises more concern is that child sex may soon become the key driving force given the laxity of Kenyan law enforcement and corruption. Ignorant communities are being lured with “improved life-styles through increased wages, land leases and development funds.” Other tricks being used by the “tour” organizers include construction of boreholes, schools and clinics for the involved communities. Communities Involved The Maasai, the Samburu and the Miji Kenda in Mombasa, are the target communities. All of them share a strong desire to preserve their cultures and little exposure to modern education. Reports estimate that more than 11 community tourism projects have already been set up in Kenya. In an interview with a Nairobi-based radio station a promoter of one of the projects in the Samburu area of Laikipia said they encouraged girls to entertain the “tourists.” “What they agree to do is up to them. We only provide the rooms,” the promoter told Capital FM. British Compensation Laikipia was in the news a few years ago after women claiming they had been raped by the British army soldiers on military practice in the area were paid huge compensations by the British government. Many of the women brought along their half-cast children to show as evidence to support their case. Unicef recently published a story of a 15-old, Miji Kenda girl it called “Annie” who sells her body to the tourists at the cost. “I do it because my parents do not support me adequately,” the girl who dropped out of school in Standard Eight said. Italian Response Only last week, the Italian consulate in Malindi, a Kenyan island with many Italian businesses – many of them accused of engaging in child prostitution, issued a statement blaming parents for their children’s involvement in sex. “Many of them accept huge sums of money as out of court settlements for tourists caught with children.” According to promoters, community tourism projects range in scale from complete community management to a partnership with an investor or trust that provides the capital to build the guest accommodation and related facilities. The community provides the use of the land, through a lease, and helps to ensure the protection of the local wildlife.” Community members are often employed and trained in tourism and benefit from wages, community development funds and involvement in spinoff enterprises,” says a brochure of one of the promoters.