Kenya grappling with failure to implement ban on same-sex relationships

It has now emerged that Kenya is grappling with its failure to implement laws that outlaw same-sex relationships.

The National Assembly Committee on Implementation was informed on Tuesday that, despite existing laws, the country has yet to take meaningful action to enforce them.

During the session, Edward Kisiang'ani, the Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications in the Ministry of Information, Communications, and The Digital Economy, expressed serious concerns about what he described as the "proliferation of the same-sex agenda" in Kenya.

He argued that this trend poses a significant risk to the nation's population growth, suggesting that it is part of a broader scheme to exploit Africa's resources.

"This is an attack on African culture. There is an agenda that the African population doesn't grow so that the resources of Africa can be taken over by other people," he stated.

PS Kisiang'ani warned that if young people continue to embrace this direction, the country could face dire demographic consequences.

The committee also heard from Joseph Mogosi Motari, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizens Affairs in the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.

He outlined the government's efforts to enhance the welfare of children through the implementation of the National Prevention and Response Plan on Violence Against Children (VAC) for 2019-2023.

He reported that the government has been providing regular cash support to improve educational and health outcomes for orphans and vulnerable children, with 1,739,919 beneficiary households receiving payments in September 2024.

Despite these efforts, committee members voiced their dissatisfaction with the responses, labelling them as "too general."

They emphasised that the discussion needed to focus specifically on the motion aimed at addressing same-sex relations in Kenya.

Consequences

Mark Mwenje, MP for Embakasi West Constituency, highlighted the potential consequences of legislative action.

"If the country decides to legislate this matter, at the point of having it assented, we might have all these aid agencies putting so much pressure on the President and eventually he will not sign that Bill," he said.

Further intensifying the discussion, Mwenje raised concerns about the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) promoting LGBTQ issues in the country.

He urged the Ministry to engage these organizations in a roundtable discussion to address their influence and the legal framework surrounding same-sex relationships.

"By now, you should have held a roundtable meeting with the NGOs, media, and stakeholders because that is the direction we are taking by law," Mwenje asserted.

The Committee on Implementation convened to review the status of a motion introduced by Nyali legislator Mohamed Ali, HSC, which seeks to ban the discussion, publication, and distribution of information promoting same-sex relationships.

The motion indicates that over the past decade, members of the LGBTQ community have persistently challenged laws that prohibit homosexuality and other acts deemed unnatural in various courts.

Concerns were also raised about the subtle infiltration of LGBTQ themes in educational materials and curricula.

The motion states that this is alarming, as it reflects an ongoing effort to normalize same-gender relationships in Kenyan society.

Advocates within the LGBTQ community have argued that their rights and freedoms have been infringed upon due to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.