“I joined the “movement” of sex workers two years ago. I joined after my sister died and she left me with five children to take care of. I tried all other forms of work but failed. So I came to Mombasa because no one knows me here. I am now a professional, the boss lady of this hotspot. I am in charge of 26 girls. We have had hard times and we have been arrested many times. We often pay KSh500 (US$5) bribe to the police. If you don’t pay, they punish you by arresting you.” In Kenya, it is not an offence in terms of the national law to sell sex or to be a sex worker however, it is an offence to “live off the earnings of prostitution”. This offence is meant only to apply to pimps and persons who exploit sex workers. The police however interpret this offence to mean that it is a crime to be a sex worker and unlawfully arrest people on this basis.