First Openly Gay Polician Seeks Seat Kenya’s New Senate

THE GAY KENYANS TRYG TO FIGHT HOMOPHOBIA OM THE SI

In 2012, David Kuria gaed global attentn by clarg that he is gay.

If elected, the 40-year-old would have bee the first Ain gay polician (outsi of South Ai) and Kenya’s first openly gay elected official—a feat a untry where gay sex remas a felony crime punishable by imprisonment.

Acrdg to the Gay and Lbian Coaln of Kenya (GALK), formed December 2012, many of s members have exprsed tert nng for polil seats.

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“Homosexualy is still illegal unr the untry’s nstutn. “I want to [work to] legalize homosexualy through the legislative procs, ” he says. Unr current laws, sodomy (or gay sex) is punishable by a prison sentence of 14 years.

Hop that those laws would change were dashed back May 2019, when the Supreme Court of Kenya led agast jog other Ain natns crimalizg homosexualy.

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The three-judge bench led that homosexualy should rema illegal and anyone found guilty of any homosexual act n receive a prison sentence.

Today, homosexualy is still illegal unr the untry’s nstutn.

Yet LGBTQ+ Kenyans rema steadfast their activism, placg their hope a possible referendum this year that uld amend the nstutn on a number of issu, cludg homosexualy. Nje Gate, the executive director of Kenya’s Natnal Gay and Lbian Human Rights Coaln, says enuragg LGBTQ+ muny members to seek elective ernment seats is a good place to start.