In recent years, massage parlours and saunas have become a phenomenon, with many establishments of this kind popping up in many places in the City of Kigali, as well as in secondary cities like Musanze, Rubavu, Nyagatare, Huye, and Muhanga, among others.
Many people, especially in the middle or working class, take a day or two to visit a spa to sweat, relieve stress, fatigue, and improve their overall mental health, mood, and well-being in general.
However, a recent survey shows that some of the spas, including those in popular hotels, have resorted to offering much more than just massage, steam, or sauna services in a bid to attract more clients.
One morning, Joshua Munyentwali woke up feeling some back pain and decided to go for a sauna session and a massage at a nearby parlour in his Remera neighbourhood.
Upon arrival, Munyentwali was offered several options, each with different prices. What shocked him most were some of the offers, which included a full-body massage with a “happy ending.”
Perplexed by what the lady meant, he inquired more about the services, and it was at this point that the massage parlour owner became more open about the “extra offers,” which included actual sexual intercourse disguised as massage.
“While the services were not openly indicated on the brochure, the lady in charge was clear that they could get me a girl, or two, to give me a massage and additional services, including sex and other sex-related acts such as oral sex, all of which came at different prices,” Munyentwali narrates.
Shocked, he inquired if that was even allowed, and the owner convinced him that the service is part of the “wellness package” they provide for people, many of whom come looking for the “extra care” rather than the massage itself.
A sample study done around the city shows that a significant number of massage or sauna spots offer “extra services” to clients, most of whom are men, including married individuals, who come looking for what is described as “a quick fix.”
One of the girls who previously worked in a spa located in Kanombe, past the airport, told The New Times that it is a lucrative business for both the owners and the women who work in the parlours.
“It brings in extra income. Those services come at a cost, and the clients are many,” the girl, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, adding that it is as good as prostitution but disguised as massage or sauna services.
The business is so thriving that the owners sometimes do not pay the girls who work in these spas because they earn significant amounts of money in the form of tips and gifts for providing “extra services” for clients.
“The men come with additional money, hidden under their towels, and a condom. If they don’t have one, the girls find it, but we play it safe because you meet many people there, and you don’t know what they are suffering from,” said the 26-year-old.
Another source at a Kicukiro-based spa told The New Times that even women receive a similar service from male masseuses, although a high percentage of the clients who frequent the place are male.
Following President Paul Kagame’s recent remarks on declining morals, this has emerged as one of the activities that many people this newspaper spoke to said is well-known but unspoken about.
“It is true. Some of the massage parlours offer what is called ‘body-to-body’ massages, where clients are given a full package, which includes sex or getting intimate with the masseuse, to achieve a certain objective, which is a happy ending,” an employee of a Kicukiro-based spa told an undercover journalist of this publication who posed as a client.
However, in some places, the women are used to entice men who initially did not have an idea to pay a little more to receive an “extra service”, which many end up doing, either out of adventure or curiosity. Before they know it, they become return customers.
“Part of our assignment is to make clients understand that they can have value for their money. It all happens behind the walls, quietly, but those who know where to find these services always know where to go,” explained a masseuse who works in a spa located in Nyamirambo.
“Many people just want to come here and relax because they are too stressed or fatigued. We must wear short skirts and revealing dresses so that male clients can be attracted to us,” she further explains.
From the outside, one cannot tell what is going on inside, as many of the spas offering such services are tucked in well-secured buildings or houses, many of which are residential, providing a level of privacy.
In some places, well-built male masseuses are employed to provide what is known as a “private massage” to women and girls who are seeking a good “body-relaxing” massage after a long week of work.
A complicated and mysterious subject
It is a subject too complex and hideous for many to discuss openly. It is equally hard to differentiate between what could be called a “professional service” in a spa and when the line has been crossed to become something else.
This perhaps also explains why the vice has been elusive and goes undetected, even by regulators, due to the level of privacy involved. In reality, the business itself is acceptable, but what happens inside the massage rooms is a mystery.
In some of the massage parlours, a normal massage can cost around Rwf15, 000, but as additional services are topped up, the price can go as high as Rwf150, 000, depending on the means and desires of the client.
In some cases, clients are given the chance to choose a masseuse of their choice, while in other places, one is given a list of services with different names, many of which do not mention the actual act, each with a price tag.
However, Ernest Muhawenimana, a manager of one of the spas located in Remera, blamed overzealous clients who sometimes want more than just a massage. Occasionally, the masseuses individually agree with the client.
“Those said services mostly go with the demand. Our job is to offer professional services, but obviously, we cannot tell what happens in the massage rooms because of privacy. However, I believe it is mostly an arrangement between the masseuse and the client. We don’t offer that as a service,” he said.
Muhawenimana explained that this happens most when clients get “excited” inside massage rooms or meet someone of the opposite sex in the sauna, but he attributes it mostly to human-to-human interactions, not a policy the spa has.
A punishable offense
Emma-Claudine Ntirenganya, Director General in Charge of Communication and Education at the City of Kigali, says that while city authorities do not regulate what happens inside massage parlours, it is a criminal offense to engage in acts that promote immorality and promiscuity.
“As the City of Kigali, our regulation is limited to conducting inspections related to hygiene or to check whether the buildings where these businesses operate were built in accordance with the services they provide,” she explained.
“But on the other hand, when we receive information that there are people engaging in illegal activities or things that are not in line with Rwandan cultural values in such facilities, we work with law enforcement organs to take action and stop them,” Ntirenganya said.
The city hall spokesperson said that local leaders are required to know the different activities taking place inside business premises to ensure that nothing illegal is happening.
Ntirenganya said that the government encourages the establishment of facilities such as spas and other hospitality businesses to boost the tourism and hospitality industries. However, turning them into sex dens goes against the values for which they were originally established.
“What we can tell the owners of these facilities is that these services are needed in the country to help people relax and lead healthy lives, not to promote promiscuity. Such acts do not only tarnish the image of the country but also do not represent who we are or our values as a nation,” she said.
Ntirenganya emphasised that promoting sexual promiscuity and prostitution can be a criminal offense, pointing out that while these acts might be seen as a “sort of civilisation” because they happen elsewhere, they do not align with Rwandan culture and values.
“We should not be misled by the fact that this is happening in other countries or the fact that it is lucrative. What we need to look at is: Is what we are doing legal? Is it allowed in our culture?” she said.
Ntirenganya advised spa owners that, instead of looking for quick profits from offering illegal services, which could result in their businesses being closed and fined, they should focus on doing the right thing and promoting Rwandan values, instead of encouraging promiscuity and sexual misconduct.
Linda, M.
