Gay Guide Kenya

Homosexual acts are illegal and severely punished. Paragraphs 162-165 of the Kenyan Penal Code define them as perverted sexual intercourse and punish them with imprisonment of between a minimum of five and a maximum of 14 years. In order to make a charge possible, both must be caught red-handed during the sexual act. There is no legal protection against discrimination and there is no recognition of same-sex couples. Since 2010, the ban on same-sex marriage has even been enshrined in the country's constitution. When a marriage between two Kenyan men in London was announced in 2009, the family of one of them was being severely harassed and attacked by strangers in their village in Kenya. However, marriages between women are allowed in some of the country's ethnic groups - but these are not considered homosexual. They rather serve the purpose of allowing families without sons to pass on their inheritance. Marriages are polygamous, one of the women must have sex with men in order to become pregnant and bear a son. Lesbian, bisexual and transgender women have a particularly difficult position in society: they are not recognised constitutionally and are often victims of violence and rape. The Kenyan society is considered conservative, homosexuality is not accepted by many, because according to opponents it contradicts the cultural values of the country. However, unlike in some countries, there are openly campaigning queer human rights organisations that work tirelessly to improve conditions for LGBTIQ people. Most notably, the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK), the Gay Kenya Trust, National Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission, and the East Africa Trans Health & Advocacy Network.