Hundreds of individuals gathered in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Friday to express their disapproval of the LGBTQ community, a move that rights groups have criticized as “dangerous.”
The demonstration came in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling last month permitting a gay rights advocacy group to register as a non-governmental organization.
The ruling has provoked anger among conservatives and amplified anti-gay rhetoric.
With support from religious organizations, the protesters marched to the Nairobi Supreme Court after Friday prayers at a nearby mosque, calling for the resignation of three judges who were part of the case.
Some held placards reading “LGBTQ is not African”, “LGBTQ Agenda must fail” and “A walk for upholding family values”.
Homosexuality is deeply stigmatized in Kenya, and same-sex sexual activity remains a criminal offense under colonial-era laws, carrying penalties that can lead to imprisonment for up to 14 years.
Although convictions under these laws are infrequent, LGBTQ+ activists argue that the legislation violates their right to privacy and dignity, fosters discrimination, and impedes their access to healthcare and justice.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), an independent rights organization, characterized Friday’s “dangerous” demonstration as the culmination of a “hateful campaign” that originated in the Indian Ocean port city of Mombasa last month.
“Now, this hate campaign is coming to the capital, and we know this will affect LGBTQ persons’ lives because previous street actions placed this group in harm’s way,” KHRC said in a statement.
“We take this opportunity to unequivocally condemn all the previous and ongoing nefarious activities that continue to expose this community’s rights to life, security, and dignity.”
The organizers of the protest announced their intention to march to the parliament in support of a proposed bill that seeks to criminalize same-sex relationships with severe penalties, including the possibility of a 50-year prison sentence.
The proposed bill, introduced by an opposition lawmaker, has not yet been discussed on the legislative floor but shares many similarities with the harsh anti-gay laws enacted in Uganda earlier this year.
The Ugandan law, regarded as one of the most severe of its kind globally, includes provisions that classify “aggravated homosexuality” as a potential capital offense and impose penalties of up to life imprisonment for consensual same-sex relationships.
Homosexuality remains unlawful in numerous East African nations, where there is a history of oppression and social biases against LGBTQ+ individuals, frequently perpetuated by conservative adherents of Islam and Christianity.
In a departure from this trend, the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius repealed a British colonial-era law criminalizing homosexual acts on Wednesday.