by B. R. GOWANI
President Barack Obama (center) greets his half-sister Auma Obama and Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta after his arrival aboard Air Force One at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi on July 24, 2015 PHOTO/South Bend Homeless Herald
Prior to US President Barack Obama’s Kenya visit, its Deputy President William Ruto, expecting Obama to lecture Kenyans on gay rights, had declared:
“Homosexuality is against the plan of God, God did not create man and woman so that men would marry men and women marry women.”
He also said that Kenya is “God fearing” country and asked Muslims and Christians to oppose the legalization of gay rights.
This God fearing man had no fear of God when he had provoked violence in 2007 for political gains. Hundreds of lives were lost and thousands of people were adversely affected.
The National Assembly speaker Justin Muturi was not far behind in registering his disapproval.
“As an individual and a Christian, I am opposed to homosexuality and cannot condone gay practices.”
“Individual rights must not violate the rights of others. Those advancing gay rights must similarly appreciate our Christian, Islamic and African traditional values which abhor homosexuality.”
One wonders how gay people’s exercising of their individual rights (that is, their sexual orientation) is going to violate straight people’s rights. As for the African, Christian, and Islamic values which Muturi is talking about, don’t these traditional values abhor poverty, corruption, violence, and so many other such things which are rampant in Kenya? Why isn’t Muturi worried about those things?
Obama was ready for such crap. Sensing the opposition to his support for gay rights, and to make his case on gay rights more palatable to Kenyans and his leaders, he invoked the racism black people had faced in the past in his own country, as a result of slavery and segregation laws, and urged the Kenyan government to grant the same treatment to gay people as was enjoyed by other citizens.
“When you start treating people differently, because they’re different, that’s the path whereby freedoms begin to erode. And bad things happen.”
“As an African-American in the United States I am painfully aware of what happens when people are treated differently under the law. I am unequivocal on this.”
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta responded in the following manner:
“There are some things that we must admit we don’t share. It’s very difficult for us to impose on people that which they themselves do not accept. This is why I say for Kenyans today the issue of gay rights is really a non-issue“
Racism is still there in the US. And there are myriad of other problems which deserves government attention. But the US presidents are semi missionaries who believe that it is their mission to guide the lessor beings. However, it does not mean that the Kenyan leaders are right in denying equal rights to the gay people.
The way Kenyatta has phrased his answer, i.e., “to impose on people,” it creates an impression as if Obama is asking all the Kenyans to go gay. Kenyatta says that the gay rights issue is a “non-issue.” But for whom? Of course, it’s a non-issue for people opposing it. But for people practicing gay life style, it is a matter of dignity and freedom. For them, it’s the central issue of their life. Granting them equal rights is not going to cost the government anything.
Here it is worth noting David Kuria’s advise to aid giving Western countries, especially the United States. Kuria is a former chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK) who in 2012 became the first openly gay person to run for a senate seat. Lack of funds and security forced him to withdraw from the race.
“What if the US said, we do not think people should be criminalized on account of their sexual orientation or gender identity BUT we also cannot dictate to you whether you (Kenya or any other country), should engage in legal reform. What we will do however is of the $150 million that we are donating to you, $2 (0r 20) million will go towards providing legal aid to gay and lesbian people in your country who are hauled into courts and criminal justice systems.”
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com