Some say that as a city grows, prostitution grows along with the city. would that be the case for Kigali?
I for one has never set foot in a strip club in Kigali though I would love to, hence I will be taking reference to a story published by Theos Uwiduhaye of Igihe.com on January 22nd,2024.
Ikimansuro is not a new word to people who usually enjoy partying, dancing and going out, these are places where people would be enjoying their drinks, and different people would take stage and entertain them, but this new trend has set it to another level.
These clubs, if I may even call them clubs are very private, you need to know a guy or know a guy who knows a guy to get to be allowed into them. mostly it’s on invitations, Theos said.
These are residential compounds which look like normal homes on day time and turn into these strip clubs in the night. You need to have an invitation, or be given a number to call upon arrival, though getting the number requires a lot of strength. in most of them, no phones or any other video recording are allowed in, and where phones are allowed, bouncers are very vigilant and alert to anyone who might attempt to a picture or video.
In these private clubs, girls take stage and dance to attendees, and start undressing up to undies, and remain fully naked dancing for customers who are mainly men.
After undressing themselves, some start masturbating on stage either using their hands, some others bottles of beer, and squirting on customers, who (most of them) get excited and start tipping the strippers as well as waiting for them to finish their dancing rounds and take them to to further the pleasure.
These girls say they do this as a way of living, as they say the couldn’t find anything else to do, hence going into such a profession which is according to the Rwandan culture shameful.
This new type of ikimansuro earns the owners a lot of money, which is hard to let go.
These types of clubs are not only in Kigali. other developing cities like Rubavu have started having such kind of clubs. well, they don’t dance fully naked, but it’s close to it in one club I got chance to get into. the security and strictness on taking photos and videos remain the same though.
Rwanda through a cabinet meeting last year, has adapted a resolution of closing most businesses leaving essential ones at 01 AM on work days, and 02 AM on weekend.
