The Kenyan High Court announced that they would be making a decision on whether same-sex relationships should be made legal on Friday 24 May, after the original February ruling was delayed.
According to The Guardian, a bench of three judges told a packed courtroom that they hadn’t seen enough evidence that anyone had actually been discriminated against by the laws, which they say represent the values of the country.
Under a colonial-era law, homosexuality is illegal and anyone convicted can face up to 14 years in prison.
“The bench says there was insufficient evidence of discrimination and denial of basic human rights due to one’s real or perceived sexuality,” wrote the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) on Twitter.
#Repeal162 The bench says there was insufficient evidence of discrimination and denial of basic human rights due to one’s real or perceived sexuality… They have upheld sections of 162 a, c and 165 of the penal code
— #Repeal162 because #LoveIsHuman (@NGLHRC) May 24, 2019
The Gay And Lesbian Coalition Of Kenya (GALCK) reported that the judgement argued the petitioners “did not provide sufficient evidence to rule in their favour” and also claimed that homosexuality “is not innate”.
The final judgement argued that the petitioners did not provide sufficient evidence to rule in their favour. They also argued that one is simply “not born this way” and homosexuality is not innate. #Repeal162
— #Repeal162
