Saturday, October 7, 2023 – Nyali Member of Parliament, Mohammed Ali alias Jicho Pevu, led demonstrations in Nairobi over the Supreme Court allowing the registration of LGBTQ associations in Kenya.
As the UDA MP and other politicians took to the streets in the capital city, another group demonstrated in Mombasa while calling for the annulment of the ruling.
The demonstration began in both towns after the midday Jumu’ah prayers, with the Christian faithful joining in later on.
“We won’t tolerate Western ideologies. Remember brothers, it’s a peaceful walk,” Jamia Mosque in Nairobi encouraged demonstrators to maintain calm.
Unlike previous protests in Kenya, police were not spotted manning the streets nor dispersing the demonstrators who disrupted traffic in Nairobi.
Protesters assembled at the Supreme Court premises at the intersection of Taifa Road and City Hall Way, next to the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) to voice their concerns.
Some chanted Islamic phrases, the Quran, and anti-LGBTQ slogans, while another section condemned the government for its silence on the matter.
Others criticized the five-judge bench that upheld the right of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) to register in February this year.
Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, Justices Smokin Wanjala and Njoki Ndung’u ruled on the majority side of the issue, stating that LGBTQ had a right to association and any form limiting their association right was discrimination.
However, Justices Mohammed Ibrahim and William Ouko dissented, adding that allowing registration of such an organization was equal to championing actions contrary to the law.
The Supreme Court reaffirmed the decision in September, stating that by refusing to register the NGO, the persons were being convicted before contravening the law.
This ruling gave members of the LGBTQ community the power to seek formal recognition by the Non-Governmental Organizations Coordination Board.
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