Kenya Insights

Tag: Homosexuality

  • Ugandan Activists Call For Sanctions After Tough Anti-Gay Law Passed

    Ugandan Activists Call For Sanctions After Tough Anti-Gay Law Passed

    (AFP)-Ugandan activists called on foreign donors to impose sanctions on rights abusers after President Yoweri Museveni signed an anti-gay law described as among the world’s harshest.

    The veteran leader defied warnings that approving the much-criticised bill against homosexuality would strain ties between Kampala and key international partners and aid donors, including Washington.

    Among other harsh measures, the new law prescribes a death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” in certain circumstances, although Uganda has not carried out capital punishment for many years.

    The move has trigged outcry and calls for a tough response from Uganda’s diplomatic and financial backers.

    “This is a key time for stakeholders, such as the US and the EU, to move forward with sanctions against Ugandans implicated in human rights abuses,” a coalition of Ugandan activist groups said in a statement late Monday.

    They warned that the “dangerous and discriminatory” law would further shrink space for civil society under Museveni, whose rule has become increasingly authoritarian since he took power in 1986.

    “Creating new crimes like these are a well-know way to engineer a legal basis to throw those with divergent views behind bars,” said Clare Byarugaba from Chapter Four Uganda, one of the groups calling for sanctions.

    She said the law would also discourage members of the LQBTQ community from seeking treatment for HIV and would “devastate the fight” against the disease in Uganda.

    – ‘Undermine relationships‘ –

    Ugandan lawmakers have stood firm against western criticism over the bill since it was first introduced to parliament in March, even if it meant cuts to foreign aid or other repercussions.

    US President Joe Biden on Monday said it was “a tragic violation of universal human rights” and threatened to cut aid and investment if the bill was not repealed.

    Biden said he had asked his National Security Council to assess what the law means for “all aspects of US engagement with Uganda”, including services providing AIDS relief and other assistance and investments.

    He said the administration would also consider sanctions against Uganda and the restriction of entry into the United States for people engaging in human rights abuses or corruption there.

    EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the Ugandan government was obligated to uphold the rights of all its citizens and “failure to do so will undermine relationships with international partners”.

    In 2014, donors slashed aid to Uganda after Museveni approved a bill that sought to impose life imprisonment for homosexual relations, but was later overturned.

    The Netherlands froze a seven-million-euro subsidy to Uganda’s legal system, while Denmark and Norway redirected around six million euros each towards private sector initiatives, aid agencies and rights organisations.

    The US — under President Barrack Obama — also cut aid and trading rights.

    Though criticised abroad, the latest anti-gay bill has enjoyed broad support in the conservative country, where lawmakers defended the measures as a necessary bulwark against Western immorality.

    Homosexuality was criminalised in Uganda under colonial laws, but there has never been a conviction for consensual same-sex activity since independence from Britain in 1962.

  • Museveni: Homosexuality Is A Big Threat And Danger To The Procreation Of Human Race

    Museveni: Homosexuality Is A Big Threat And Danger To The Procreation Of Human Race

    President Yoweri Museveni has called on African nations to lead in rejecting the promotion of homosexuality, describing the vice as a big threat and danger to the procreation of human race.

    “Africa should provide the lead to save the world from this degeneration and decadence which is really very dangerous for humanity. If people of opposite sex stop appreciating one another then how will the human race be propagated?” he asked.

     

     

    President Museveni made these observations while interfacing with a delegation of Members of Parliament from over 22 African countries and the United Kingdom who had converged in Entebbe for a 2-day First ever Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Values and Sovereignty that ran under the theme ‘Protecting African Culture and Family Values’.

    The delegation was led to State House Entebbe by Hon. Sarah Opendi, the Tororo Woman MP and Chairperson of the Conference and also the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum on Family.

     

     

    They called on President Museveni to thank him for his firm stand against homosexuality and to bring to his attention some of the African-Caribbean and Pacific – ACP/EU agreements that pose a threat and danger to the sovereignty of the Member States of the ACP.

    The Conference was also attended by experts who enlightened participants on the causes of homosexuality and possible remedies to the vice.

    President Museveni noted that initially the practice that was thought to be a deviation from the normal is more dangerous than drugs.

    He therefore sought the identification of the focal point of homosexuality as it is neither genetic nor hormonal.

     

     

    Dr. Wahome Ngare, a Senior Consultant and Chairman- Kenya Catholic Doctors’ Association clarified on the root causes of homosexuality.

    “So, broken families create homosexuals, they are children who are broken. They are not genetic or hormonal but psychological,” Dr. Wahome explained.

    Dr. Wahome further in his submission pointed out that this lifestyle is naturally sterile; it leads to increased demand in medical services, and it is not scientific.

    He further observed that homosexuality is not natural, it is not consistent with nature and culture as well as faith.

    “In fact, same sex unions and same sexual acts are anti-life, anti-family and anti-humanity. It should be banned in total,” he stressed.

    One of the researchers on the subject, Sharon Slatter- the President of the Watch International and the Chairperson of United Nations Family Caucus also cited some of the root causes of the practice as an abusive father who at times is never at home for the child, overprotective mothers, pornography addiction, sexual abuse or children who were bullied and felt marginalized.

    She added that most of the children in these categories develop same sex attraction.

    President Museveni was glad to learn from Slatter that victims could be provided with some therapy and be rehabilitated like one victim who was deeply involved in homosexuality but was reformed and helped over 1000 other victims as well in their rehabilitation.

    “That means Homosexuality is reversible and curable. But it should not be preserved or propagated it should be confined” he said.

    The President who praised the Ugandan Parliament for passing the bill vowed never to allow the promotion and publicisation of homosexuality in Uganda, stressing that it will never be tolerated.

    “If I kissed Janet in public, I will not win elections in Uganda. It shouldn’t even be done in the sitting room because children are there. Now here you are, declaring, “I am a homosexual”, what are you trying to show?” He wondered.

    Slatter however warned of some actors from the UN who are busy moving around the world advocating against the establishment of rehabilitation centers for the victims of homosexuality.

    “They go around the world saying the right of Conversion Therapy should be preserved and should be declared illegal,” she warned.

    President Museveni at the same interface with African MPs thanked Hon. Asheme Songwe, MP and leader of the Malawi delegation to the ACP/EU in Brussels for bringing to his attention articles contained in the ACP/EU new draft agreement that pose a lot of challenges and are a threat to the sovereignty of the Member States and also to the Values of Family, Religious and Traditional Cultures.

    “We appeal to you to be the Ambassador in Chief across Africa, to sensitize each and every Head of State of the dangers of the post Cotonou agreement. For example Article 88, in the new agreement creates a super council of Ministers from ACP/EU who have powers to come up with the binding decisions which will override the various original agreements in our respective groupings like the ECOWAS, SADC and the EAC. Article 46.3 and 40 are advancing issues dealing with sexual gender orientation identity a matter that has been well explained by Dr. Wahome. Yes, we are poor but warn fellow Excellencies not to sign. By signing we are putting the future of our children at a great risk. We are excited with what is happening in Uganda,” he said.

    “Now I am immunized. I thank the MP from Malawi for alerting me not to sign the ACP/EU agreement. Now I am immunized against the ACP/EU agreement,” the President said.

    President Museveni however appealed to friends from the Western Political circles whom he assured of not having any enmity with them, to stop giving lectures to Africans and wasting their time because they will not succeed as colonialism was defeated from the onset of Organization of African Union (OAU) in Addis Ababa in 1963.

    President Museveni further assured Slatter that there will be no comprehensive sexuality education in Uganda, citing the Biblical phrase in the book of Ecclesiastics that points out that ‘there is time for everything’.

    “Now children are children. They need to grow as children. How can you invade their childhood and start teaching them about adulthood? he asked, calling Dr. Wahome to shed more light on the issue.

    “The part of the brain that makes them reason and make good decisions does not mature until 20 years of age. Therefore, if you come out to teach a child to make good sexual decisions, It is not possible. That is why we have the age of 18 as a cut off for what children can be allowed to do without parental guidance. Therefore, the child doesn’t have to be exposed to sexual matters until the inclination starts naturally,” Dr. Wahome explained.

    President Museveni also told his guests that the moment he receives the bill he will convene a meeting with the Ugandan MPs to harmonize on it and see how best to protect the children from homosexuality.

    Kaluma Peter, MP from Kenya praised President Museveni and the Parliament of Uganda for doing what they did as it is now an inspiration to other Houses on the continent to follow suit, adding that Africa is faced with a bigger problem than slavery or colonialism.

    “A person proposing that there should be same sex marriages or same sex relationships is a person seeking to wipe out the entire humanity out of the face of this earth. So, we are very- very happy to see you being firm on this. You give value to our sovereignty as Independent States in Africa. You have stood in the gap for Africa. We came to express our gratitude, respect, and salutations to you Your Excellency. So many African States are now coming up with similar Laws-Kenya is drafting the family protection Law, Ghana and Malawi and many others,” he disclosed.

    Sarah Opendi the leader of the delegation assured President Museveni that the bill recently passed by Parliament has some clauses that propose the establishment of rehabilitation centers for the victims of homosexuality.

    “Children could have been lured into this act innocently,” she added.

  • Global Firms Gives Kenya Condition To Allow Homosexuality For Them To Pump More Money Into The Economy

    Global Firms Gives Kenya Condition To Allow Homosexuality For Them To Pump More Money Into The Economy

    A coalition of 27 global companies has asked Kenya to fully recognise gays, lesbians, bisexuals and the transgender to unlock more billions into the economy.

    The coalition Open for Business, comprises Microsoft, Google, Barclays, Standard Chartered, Diageo, IBM, PwC, American Express, Burberry, among others.

    In a report titled The Economic Case for LGBT+ Inclusion in Kenya, they say Kenya loses between Sh18.5 billion and Sh130 billion every year because of policies that assign criminality and discriminate against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

    The report says the discriminatory environment sees Kenya lose between Sh6.5 billion and Sh14.3 billion per year because it is unattractive to some tourists.

    The report rates several cities across the world in terms of LGBT inclusion. Cities are placed in 13 categories and Nairobi is in the 12th alongside Dakar, Casablanca, Rabat, Dhaka and Almaty.

    There are 10 top-tier cities in the report and they include Amsterdam, Berlin, Chicago, London, New York, Stockholm, and Washington. At the very bottom 12 cities that include Dar es Salaam, Addis Ababa, Cairo, Riyadh and Tehran.

    “Increased focus on LGBT+ inclusion can create the environment necessary to drive greater levels of economic competitiveness. As Nairobi becomes a more open and inclusive place, it may achieve a higher rating, signalling that it is ‘open for business,’” says the report. “An open for business city is globally connected, a welcoming place for people from all types of backgrounds, including LGBT+ people.”

    Same-sex marriages

     

    The report mentions the High Court decision of May 2019 where judges refused to quash a section of the Penal Code that criminalises homosexuality.

    It also takes note of the fact that Kenya does not recognise same-sex marriages, and explains that the elements of criminality in same-sex unions were introduced by British colonialists and were retained at independence.

    “Out of 54 countries in Africa, Kenya is one of the 36 that have criminalised homosexual behaviour or acts, four of which impose the death penalty (Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, and Mauritania). Kenya’s Penal Code pronounces carnal knowledge as an act against the order of nature and anyone guilty of carnal knowledge is liable to 14 years’ imprisonment,” reads part of the report.

    “According to a report by the Kenya Human Rights Commission, LGBT+ Kenyans are harassed by State officials and are often subjected to physical violence and death threats,” it adds.

    The report then breaks the figures Kenya loses due to the prevailing legal environment. It says up to Sh105 billion is lost due to poor health outcomes for the LGBT groups.