Ruling by Kenya’s Supreme Court buoys LGBTQ+ community
Ten months since a Supreme Court win, LGBTQ+ Kenyans say they feel more emboldened to fight for their rights and report hate crime – even as they face homophobic protests and a legislative proposal to toughen penalties for gay sex.
The court ruled in February to allow the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC), a rights group, to register as a non-governmental organisation – winning praise from LGBTQ+ campaigners but triggering a menacing backlash.
Last month, the court upheld its original ruling following an appeal brought by a member of parliament (MP), giving an additional boost to the East African country’s gay and transgender community. “We have renewed strength to advocate for the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals in Kenya,” Annette Atieno, communication officer at the NGLHRC, told Openly, referring to the outcome of September’s appeal by MP Peter Kaluma.
Kenya is still seen as a relative haven for LGBTQ+ people in a hostile region. Unlike in many of the more than 30 other African countries where same-sex relations are illegal, its colonial-era anti-gay law is rarely enforced.
