While some Kenyans were surprised when they came across short videos of one Steve Kariuki offering massage to women in their birthday suits, others didn’t see anything strange. In fact, Steve who has a massage parlour along TRM Drive in Kasarani, Nairobi admitted he is not short of clients.

While massaging unclothed female clients may be new to Kenya, it is popular in other parts of the world. It is said to help clients free, appreciate themselves and love their bodies.

And it is not only Steve who has cashed on this enticing business. Brian Owalo (not his real name) prides in is his job as a masseuse. Having been in the industry for about eight years, he has perfected his skills on offering the best massage therapy to his clients.

“I get so many referrals from my clients and I get to interact with, so many new clients who visit my spa at Lavington. I would say that I have now become a master in my game,” he says.

Brian offers massage services such as Swedish massage, which involves long, kneading strokes combined with rhythmic tapping strokes and movement of the joints. He also offers hot stone massage where, smooth, flat, heated stones are placed on specific parts of your body. Others include prenatal, which is administered to pregnant women as the name suggests while, postnatal is administered to someone who has just given birth.

Controversial massages

However, there are other types of massages offered, which according to the massage therapist are controversial. These are sensual, in that the masseuse uses their hands, fingers or arms to stimulate erogenous zones on the human body.

“We have tantric massage, which involves massaging and stimulating a person’s full body, including genitalia, while doing breathwork and meditation. There is yoni massage, a sexual tantra practice that involves massaging the vagina, which is called yoni, which helps people feel more comfortable with themselves by exploring and developing their relationship with their body, the erotic massage where two people  touch and stimulate each other and body to body massage also known as the nuru where the therapist massages the client with their own body,” he says.

Although married women make the bulk of his clients, and the yoni and body to body are the most requested services, he makes sure he keeps it professional. He says the massages are not about intercourse or having a ‘happy endings’.

Sexual discovery

“The reason I said these services are controversial is because I always clarify to my clients that this doesn’t end with a ‘happy endings’. However, in some massages such as the yoni, the client most of the time ends up attaining orgasm, which is actually the main purpose of the massage because it mostly entails sexual self-discovery,” says Brian.

Despite having a variety of massage services to offer, and an offer of doing home services, which is limited to female clients, his male clients are not left out when it comes to reflexology, hot stone and Swedish massage.

However, Brian , who is in a relationship says his girelfriend is unaware that he offers sensual massages. “She knows that I offer the normal massage,” he says.

On his part, Nick Sawe a massage therapist, says that majoring in sensual massages have given him a great mileage as a masseuse.

Although he has on many occasions kept it professional, he comes across clients who are after happy endings, which is a huge bonus for him, so he doesn’t shy away from doing so.

“Most of them call me for the erotic massage and specifically instruct me to make sure they orgasm and in turn pay double what they were paying. For a 180-minute gig, that is such a good price,” he says. The prices range from Sh3,000 to Sh20,000

Nick, however, explains that he gets himself in situations where his clients want to be in a relationship with him or even go on dates with him.

“I once found myself in a situation where I had to give in to a client’s demand. I didn’t want to lose her because she offered good tips, so I would constantly ensure that I made it up to her every time we met,” he says.

Orgasm may or may not happen

Maurice Matheka, a sex therapist explains that when it comes to sensual massages the main goal at the end of the day is to enjoy.

“Evidence suggest that most people find yoni massages to be an emotional journey rather than a sexual one. While some people may orgasm as a result of this massage, it is not necessarily the goal and doesn’t need to be an expectation,” he says.

He adds that some people may, however, find that it leads to multiple orgasms and that depends entirely on an individual.