For years, women and girls in Kenya’s informal settlements have faced an unspoken yet pervasive form of corruption—sextortion. The choice was stark: sex for water or thirst. But today, thanks to a groundbreaking partnership between the African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation (ANEW), AVAAZ, the Kenya Water and Sanitation Civil Society Network (KEWASNET), the Kenya Law Reform Commission (KLRC), Members of Parliament, the Ministry of Water, and civil society champions, Kenya is on the brink of passing its first-ever legislation criminalizing sextortion.
This historic moment did not happen overnight. It was the result of nearly a decade of relentless advocacy, research, and mobilization. The turning point came with the “Sex for Water” study, which exposed the grim reality of sextortion in the water sector. Armed with undeniable data, ANEW and its partners launched an aggressive campaign to push for legislative change.
The public responded with overwhelming support—over 500,000 people signed a petition on the AVAAZ platform, sending a clear message to lawmakers: the time for change is now. This was followed by a series of high-level engagements that brought together legal experts, MPs, the Deputy Speaker, KLRC, the Attorney General’s Office, the Ministry of Water, and civil society leaders to draft the anti-sextortion bill. The outcome of this two-day workshop on April 13th and 14th was a commitment by Parliament to finalize and present the legislation.
Beyond drafting the law, this movement sparked a wave of action. Community members, media, and advocacy groups rallied behind the cause, ensuring that the issue remained in the public eye. Legal experts recommended structural reforms, including a dedicated police unit for sextortion cases, victim support centers, and national awareness campaigns akin to the #MeToo movement. The discussions also underscored the need to address sextortion not just in the water sector but across industries like education, sports, and employment, where similar abuses persist.
With legal backing now on the horizon, this milestone represents a major victory for gender rights and social justice in Kenya. The upcoming parliamentary reading of the bill will be a defining moment in the country’s fight against sexual exploitation and corruption.
This achievement is a testament to the power of collective action. With the relentless efforts of ANEW, AVAAZ, KEWASNET, KLRC, the Ministry of Water, Parliament, and the voices of survivors, Kenya is setting a precedent for the world. Sextortion is corruption. Sextortion is gender-based violence. And now, sextortion will be a crime.
The fight is far from over, but one thing is certain—silence is no longer an option.
