June 22nd 2023.
Mohamed Ali, a member of Kenya's parliament, doesn't believe that openly gay Africans are real. He claims that those who identify as such are merely seeking money or visas from Western countries. He is determined to pass a sweeping legislative crackdown on the LGBTQ community, believing it will save African values and sovereignty.
The proposed Family Protection Bill, seen by Reuters, would punish gay sex with prison sentences of at least 10 years, and "aggravated homosexuality"—which includes sex with a minor, disabled person, or the transmission of a terminal disease—with the death penalty. Annette Atieno of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission campaign group said it would be "a hateful piece of legislation that will truly make the lives of queer Kenyans unbearable if passed".
Similar laws are being considered in Tanzania and South Sudan. In South Sudan, a parliamentary spokesperson said a law with similar content to Uganda's anti-LGBT law was being drafted and would be put to a vote soon. In Tanzania, a lawmaker plans to introduce a private motion in parliament later this year to clamp down on gay activity. She has not shared any specifics but believes it is necessary to "control the ongoing moral decay". The Tanzanian minister of constitutional and legal affairs said that while there's not much room to tighten existing colonial-era laws against homosexuality, the government is still collecting opinions on how to solve the problem.
The Kenyan anti-gay bill is currently being reviewed by a parliamentary committee, and the LGBT community is fearful of the outcome. President William Ruto has criticized a February supreme court decision allowing an LGBT rights group to register as a non-governmental organization, and more than 20 lawmakers have spoken out against LGBT rights in parliament.
It's clear that Mohamed Ali is determined to push through a law that would make life unbearable for queer Kenyans, and that similar measures are being considered in other East African nations. The outcome of this draconian bill will be determined soon, and it remains to be seen how the LGBT community will be affected.
Mohamed Ali, a member of Kenya's parliament, does not believe that gay Africans exist. He argues that homosexuality is a Western invention that has been imposed on the African continent. He claims that openly gay Africans are only after visas to the West or money from rights groups. Ali has expressed a desperate desire to follow Uganda's lead and enact a sweeping legislative crackdown on LGBTQ people - even if he is confined to intensive care, he would ask to be dragged to parliament to vote for it.
"I will ask them to take me to vote for that, to kick them out, kick LGBT people out of Kenya completely," said Ali.
It appears that Kenya could be on the verge of passing a similarly formulated bill to Uganda that punishes gay sex with prison time or even death in some cases. Similar moves are also being discussed in Tanzania and South Sudan. Regional lawmakers view this as an effort to protect African values and sovereignty, which they think have been threatened by Western pressure on gay rights.
The draft of Kenya's Family Protection Bill, which was seen by Reuters, has similar elements to the Ugandan law. According to the bill, gay sex is punishable by at least 10 years in prison, while "aggravated homosexuality" - such as gay sex with a minor or disabled person or when a terminal disease is passed on - brings the death penalty.
Annette Atieno, from the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission campaign group, expressed her strong disapproval of the proposed bill. "It is a hateful piece of legislation that will truly make the lives of queer Kenyans unbearable if passed," she said.
John Agany, South Sudan's parliamentary spokesperson, told Reuters that an anti-LGBT law is being drafted and would be put to a vote soon. Tanzania's Jacqueline Ngonyani announced her intention to introduce a private motion in parliament later this year to clamp down on gay activity. She believes it is necessary to "control the ongoing moral decay".
Tanzania's minister of constitutional and legal affairs, Damas Ndumbaro, stated that there is little room to tighten existing colonial-era laws against homosexuality. He suggested that the government should review why the problem is persisting.
The Kenyan anti-gay bill is currently being reviewed by a parliamentary committee, though no timeline for a vote has been set. LGBT activists are worried about the possible outcome, and President William Ruto has been an outspoken critic of LGBT rights. He believes that allowing same-sex marriages would be the end of the current generation.
It is clear that many African countries are adamant about protecting their values and sovereignty from what they see as Western influence. Whether or not these anti-LGBT laws will be passed remains to be seen.
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