Of course, after these two came new and improved sex toys, scientific-based information packaged in books and videos to help squeeze “everything out of sex”, and numerous concoctions to supposedly cure any nature of sexual shortcomings. However, such innovations have been treated with a sort of indifference, along the lines of, say, the production of an oddity like heart-shaped bread. That was until the mobile phone and Internet came into the picture. Since time in memoriam, our work has been based on some level of secrecy.

If it’s not keeping our professional life from family and friends, then it’s our clients doing it. If it is not us trying to maintain a façade as good girls, it’s our clients trying to pretend to be responsible family men. That level of discretion has always been diluted by the fact that we needed to be at particular places at particular times. Also, clients need to come to those places for the transaction to be completed. But what if one was seen in those places, say, Koinange Street or Sabina Joy? What if such places had acquired a name as dens of thieves and filth? What if a girl wanted to join the trade, but was not courageous enough to come to the Street? What if a man wanted to meet a girl over lunch and not at night when he should be having dinner with his family and not out arousing suspicions? The mobile phone helped to change all that.

A man comes to the Street once, likes a girl, exchanges numbers and proceeds to meet at a place and time of their convenience. A girl, on the other hand, doesn’t have to physically come to the Street. All she will do is place a oneline classified ad in the newspapers under the beauty or entertainment sections. Something like “Massage 072 x xxx xxx”. The mobile phone has also opened doors for girls to come out of the closet. Such a girl can place an ad in the newspapers and still go on living her regular life as a student or an accountant.

The Internet was supposed to take the mobile experience even higher. Here, a girl could show what she has, in addition to explaining at length her other “talents” and attributes. Some local entrepreneurs put up websites to help showcase their girls. They send scouts to the Street to convince us to sign up for their services. However, being through-and-through girls of the Street, we’ve been reluctant to sign up. Instead, we leave it to those a little higher up in the food chain such as massage parlors, or to newbies who think they are sophisticated. Not that we don’t realize the advantages of displaying our wares online, but from experience, we know not to trust anything we don’t have some control over.

On the Street, we are able to have a good look at the man seeking our services, deciding on both the best strategy for handling him and whether to go with him or not. And, in case of an incident we feel we are covered, because a friend can note the car that picks you up, the make, color and registration number. But what can one tell from a man with the online name of “Jock”, who claims to have the ability to pay you three thousand shillings, yet one can’t see what he drives, what language he speaks or his tone of voice? What if he is not real? What if a girl does not like him after investing time and money to meet him? So is there a risk of us becoming irrelevant now that we have said a big “No” to the Internet? Certainly there is, but as long as men get drunk, they will always patrol our part of the city.

And as long as there is an ever-present skepticism in Nairobi that makes some men doubt the reality of photos posted by some girls on the Internet, then they will always come to the Street where, more often than not, what you see is what you get.