Kakamega ladies of the night declare war on rogue cops, nyumba kumi over extortion

As night falls over Kakamega town and calm blankets the streets, a darker storm brews beneath the surface, one threatening the safety and livelihoods of dozens of commercial sex workers.

In recent months, these women, who operate in hotspots such as Vike, Shikambi, Maziwa Road, and along the Kakamega–Mumias highway, have found themselves at the centre of an intensifying blame game.

Accused of aiding violent criminals linked to a spate of grisly murders, the sex workers are now facing what they claim is a coordinated campaign of harassment by rogue police officers and Nyumba Kumi operatives.

Their alleged crime? Being in the wrong trade at the wrong time.

“We are being targeted like animals. If they no longer want us here, they should say it, but dragging us out of our shelters, beating us, and demanding bribes is not the answer,” said Sharon Kimangi, one of the leaders of the sex workers, during an emotionally charged press briefing.

Kimangi recounted a harrowing midnight raid in which masked men stormed her room, assaulted her, dragged her outside, and poured water over her bedding.

“We’re not safe from the very people meant to protect us. They barge in asking for Sh100 or Sh200, and if you don’t pay, they strip-search you for hidden money. Some women were undressed and thoroughly beaten when they couldn’t raise the Sh2,000 bribe,” she added.

Their shelters have been destroyed. Some have been forced to sleep in the cold, injured and terrified. Others claim arrests were made without explanation or charges, just demands for money.

The women are now demanding intervention from the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, and the Kakamega County Government.

“We buy our own condoms. We have children to feed. We are not the problem, criminals are. But now they’re using us as scapegoats. Who will speak for us?” lamented Kimangi.

Jane Imbulani, who operates in the Jua Kali area, added her voice: “If this is war, so be it. We’re ready to defend our rights. But let the authorities tell us, are these real Nyumba Kumi officials or a gang hiding behind the law to rob and terrorise us?”

A landlady who houses several of the women confirmed the night-time raids and accused the intruders of forcefully evicting tenants and dumping their belongings in the rain.

“I asked them who gave the orders, and they just said it came from above,” said the landlady, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In defence, a Nyumba Kumi member claimed the women were harbouring criminals.

“We’ve seen rising insecurity in the last two months. Our investigations show some of the sex workers act as accomplices. We were only conducting a screening exercise to identify the genuine ones,” the source said.

However, Kakamega Central Sub-County Police Commander Vincent Cherutich distanced his officers from the operations, stating that no joint raids with Nyumba Kumi were sanctioned.

“We’re aware that some individuals may be abusing the Nyumba Kumi framework to harass residents. Anyone affected should file official complaints so we can act. Officers found culpable will face the full force of the law,” he stated.

The accusations come on the heels of a series of chilling murders in the Lurambi area, where three night guards were killed in separate incidents.

One body was found shockingly close to the Lurambi Police Station, another at a timber yard, and a third at Stage Mandazi, a busy matatu stop.

With trust in law enforcement fraying and communities living in fear, the sex workers of Kakamega say they will no longer suffer in silence.

“We are not against the law,” said Kimangi. “We just want to be treated like human beings.”