Municipal
by-laws
Defunct municipal by-laws across the country that refer to sex work differ
according to different regions, and can be very vague, leaving a large amount of
discretion for interpretation. These by-laws are utilized by council officers
and police officials to arrest sex workers.
Section
19(m) of the Nairobi General Nuisance By-laws (2007) provides that “any person
who in any
street – loiters or importunes for purposes of prostitution is guilty of an
offence.”
This law criminalizes loitering for purposes of prostitution, and not
prostitution. It is often used by police
to arrest sex workers who are seen waiting for clients in public places