Prison terms upheld as rare win for Kenya’s LGBTQ+ community

“Abel Meli & Another” were sentenced to 15 years in prison for robbery with violence at Milimani law courts in Nairobi on 3 March. LGBTQ+ rights advocates hailed the ruling as a breakthrough and a sign of hope for the country’s queer community. Njeri Gateru, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, said: “A lot is going against [the queer community] with the existence of the criminal laws and prevailing homophobic attitudes, but some of us still trust that we can find justice, so this case encourages us.” Kenya is one of 31 countries in Africa that still criminalises homosexuality; gay sex is punishable by up to 14 years in prison and many members of the queer community are shunned, often keeping their sexual orientation secret.

Hostility has increased in recent years amid a worsening legal landscape, cuts to funding for advocacy groups and a global anti-rights backlash.

Kenya, Nairobi

kenya, nairobi, milimani, abel meli, njeri gateru, lgbtq rights, queer community, prison sentence, criminalisation, homophobic attitudes