I Regret Sleeping With A Man I Met During the Naivasha Safari Rally Championship

A woman from Naivasha has spoken out about a painful experience that changed her life, warning others about the dangers of risky encounters during major events such as the Safari Rally.

Zipporah, who grew up in Naivasha, said she was raised by a single mother who later passed away while she was still young.

As the eldest child, she took on the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings, struggling to provide food and pay rent. 

She explained that she began doing casual laundry work at the age of twelve, but the income was not enough to sustain her family.

In search of better opportunities, a friend introduced her to what she believed was a night job at a hotel.

However, she later realised that the arrangement involved meeting men for money.

Despite initial resistance, financial pressure pushed her into commercial sex work, where she and others often targeted clients along highways, including truck drivers.

During the Safari Rally period, she said they would visit hotels in search of clients who were willing to pay higher amounts.

It was during this time that she met a man who offered her a significant payment and took her to a private accommodation.

According to her account, after spending the night together, the man arranged for her transport back home and gave her money along with pills, which she believed were meant to protect her health.

Shortly after taking them, she lost consciousness.

She later regained awareness at home but discovered that her money was missing, and she was left to deal with the situation alone.

Days later, a friend found her unwell and took her to hospital. Medical staff advised her to return after three months for testing due to the elapsed time since the incident.

When she eventually went back, she was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

She said the diagnosis deeply affected her and led her to leave the trade.

Now living with regret, she is urging young women to avoid similar situations and to be cautious about decisions that may put their health and safety at risk.