It is a bizarre trend that is quietly taking over Nairobi’s social scene. Online stores are reporting a surge in the sale of artificial silicone pregnancy bellies, priced between KES 8,000 and KES 30,000. But who is buying them, and why?

The product, originally designed for actors and medical training, has found a new, unexpected market. Interviews with sellers on platforms like Ubuy and Instagram reveal a diverse clientele driven by reasons ranging from the mischievous to the desperate.

The Motivations

• Social Privileges: Some users admit to wearing the "bump" to skip long queues at banking halls or secure seats on congested matatus. In a city that respects mothers, a fake belly is a VIP pass.
• Content Creation: The influencer economy is a major driver. Prank videos involving fake pregnancies garner millions of views on TikTok. It is "clout chasing" taken to a literal new dimension.
• The Darker Side: More disturbingly, investigators link some purchases to baby trafficking syndicates or women faking pregnancies to trap partners or cover up fertility struggles in a society that stigmatizes childlessness.

The Societal Mirror

Sociologist Dr. Halima Mude calls it a "performance of womanhood." "It shows how much value we place on the pregnant body," she notes. "Women are hacking the system to access the empathy and care that society usually denies them."

Whether for a prank or a seat on the bus, the "fake bump" industry is booming. It is a strange, uniquely modern hustle that blurs the line between biology and deception.