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The wave of anti-gay sentiment in Kenya continues to grow. The mob violence on Feb. 12 over the alleged wedding of two gay men has lead to house-to-house searches for gays, attacks on gays in the street and the sacking of an AIDS clinic.

Denis Nzioka, a gay activist in Kenya told Gay City News,“Ever since the outburst of violence in Mtwapa, gay people have had tofear for their lives. Vigilante groups are hunting down gay men, goingdoor to door, and anyone who is overly flamboyant is attacked in thestreet.”

In late January, rumors of a gay wedding began circulating inMtwapa. Radio stations reported the unconfirmed story. In earlyFebruary, religious leaders told their congregations to expose the gaysin Mtwapa.

“We shall stand firm to flush out gays who throng this town everyweekend from all corners of this country,” the Council of Imams andPreachers of Kenya and the National Council of Churches of Kenya saidin a joint statement last week, The Daily nation reported.

New York-based Human Rights Watch sent a letter to Kenyan officials telling the government to protect the nations LGBT citizens.

“The government is sitting silent while mobs try to kill humanrights defenders and assault people they suspect are gay,” said DipikaNath, researcher in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender rightsprogram at Human Rights Watch. “Inaction is complicity, and silence canbe lethal.”

Technically, it is not illegal to be gay in Kenya. Kenyan lawdictates that certain types of sex are “crimes against natural law.”

“They criminalize anal sex,” for gays and straights, Nath said. “However, in practice these laws are intended to target gays.”

Nath said many gays are in hiding and living in fear for their safety.

“A few people can’t go back to their homes. They are going to have to be in hiding for a little bit longer,” she said.

by Ruth Schneider

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