Never in Kenya, Ruto, Raila and clergy tell gays

President William Ruto yesterday broke his silence over the raging debate on same-sex unions, warning that they would never be allowed in Kenya.

Speaking during International Women’s Day celebrations at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Ruto maintained that Kenya has values that must to be respected.

 “I cannot allow our women to get competition from men who chase after men. That will not happen under my watch,” the President stated.

He went on: “We have our cultures and traditions; we respect our Constitution and all our religions. We cannot travel the road of women marrying women, or men marrying men. That won’t happen in Kenya.”

Ruto challenged religious leaders to take a firm stand in the fight against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) agenda, which is being propagated on various platforms.

Discriminatory decision

The Supreme Court last Friday said that the decision to deny gay members their right to register non-governmental organisations (NGOs), despite homosexuality being illegal in the nation, was discriminatory. This followed a ruling made in 2013 by lower courts that outlawed registration of LGBTQ groups in Kenya.

Ruto said that although he respects court decisions, he was opposed to same-sex relationships.

 “You know me very well. I am a God-fearing man and whatever happened at the court, even if we respect the court, our culture, values, Christianity and Islam cannot allow women to marry each other, or men to marry fellow men,” he said.

“I want to ask our religious leaders to stand firm and educate our children, our people, so that we don’t lose our beliefs and way of life to foreign practices,” the President added.

The Kenyan Constitution prohibits same-sex activity under the Penal Code 1930. It criminalises acts of ‘gross indecency’ and ‘carnal knowledge against the order of nature’. Anyone found guilty faces a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail.

Speaking separately, Opposition chief Raila Odinga condemned the ruling, accusing the Judiciary of overstepping its mandate by trying to make laws yet it is supposed to be the arbiter.

“We condemn in very strong terms and totally reject the ruling by the Supreme Court on the alleged rights of the LGBTQ community, which ruling amounts to usurpation of the role of Parliament to make laws that are consistent with the ideals, culture and traditions of our people. Consequently, we call upon our houses of Parliament to seize this matter and stop this invasion and erosion of our ways of life by traditions that are strange and unacceptable to us,” said Raila.

“We have three arms of government, Parliament, Executive and Judiciary. Parliament is supposed to make laws, among other duties, the Executive is to offer services according to the laws, and the Judiciary is supposed to interpret the laws. They (Judiciary) cannot make new laws,” said Raila.

The court’s decision has been the subject of widespread condemnation by church leaders, who had challenged President Ruto and Raila to speak out on the matter.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, on the other hand, expressed shock at the ruling that granted LGBTQ proponents the right to form an association to advance their interests.

“I was shocked and even wondered what I could say. Do you know there are times you can be shocked until you have nothing to say? We are hearing that there is an organisation that wants to defend same-sex marriage. What is that?

“We have no problem with the court but we have to ask what they imagine when a woman marries another woman. We do not have that and that is against our beliefs,” Gachagua stated.

Azimio luminaries Martha Karua (Narc Kenya), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Jeremiah Kioni (Jubilee) and Eugene Wamalwa (DAP-K) charged that the Constitution prohibits same-sex marriages and that making rulings that go against it was unconstitutional.

The apex court, in its ruling, declared that the NGO Board discriminated against an organisation that was seeking registration for advocacy work in the LGBTQ community. The justices held that the board violated the right to non-discrimination by refusing to accept the names proposed, as the respondents were entitled to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed freedom to associate and form an association.

Ruto and Raila spoke as religious leaders piled pressure against the LGBTQ agenda allegedly being pushed by Western nations. Speaking in Nairobi and Nakuru counties, the leaders expressed dismay at the Supreme Court ruling, saying it contradicted the very Constitution the judges had sworn to protect. 

Criminal enterprise

The Nakuru Bishops’ Council, in a statement read by Secretary John Omollo, said the apex court erred in allowing the registration of a “criminal enterprise” that would open the doors for advancement of homosexuality, which is unacceptable.

“The church and Kenyans are eagerly waiting for the Head of State, who is a Christian, to come out boldly on the LGBTQ issue, just as his predecessor did. The introduction of homosexuality is an affront to family traditional values,” said Omollo.

 “If registration is allowed, these people will access schools and colleges and corrupt young minds with unlawful acts and strange behaviour. It will be too late for parents to save their children; this should be unacceptable,” he added.

Weighing in, Bishop Jackson Maina of Victorious Community Church asked the government to protect students and young people from indoctrination by Western cultures.

According to Maina, several African states have declared homosexuality illegal, citing Uganda.

“These things are being done in Kenya but in hushed tones, since it is illegal, but the pronouncement by the Judiciary has forced us out. We do not want to be called to pray for a broken society yet we have a chance to save it now,” said Maina.

In Nairobi, the Federation of Evangelical and Indigenous Christian churches of Kenya (FEICCK), led by Bishop Samuel Ngacha and Bishop David Munyiri, said the ruling sets a wrong precedence and creates a framework for promoting deviant and irresponsible sexual behaviour.

“Instead of joining religious institutions to support corrective measures and rehabilitation of those struggling with such challenges, the judges have moved to allow more damage to be done,” said Ngacha.

 In Parliament, MPs have threatened to pass a law that will deregister any LGBTQ organisation in Kenya.

Stories by Alvin Mwangi, Patricia Obiero, Rawlings Otieno and Roy Lumbe