NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 2 — A section of Kenya’s religious leaders have submitted a petition to Parliament to inquire into what they have termed as the proliferation of LGBTQ activities in the country.
The religious leaders drawn from Muslim and Christian faiths expressed their concern over what they described as a sustained campaign to “legitimise” Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) relations.
The clerics, who signed the petition on Thursday, asserted that “foreign” non-state actors have been actively lobbying to bring about changes to penal laws, aiming to decriminalize acts including homosexuality.
“We have noted that LGBTQ is advancing in this country through the lobbying and ideology, despite the fact that our laws, penal code, and constitution do not allow this behaviour and this ideology,” the clerics under the umbrella of the Kenya Christians Professional Forum and Muslim Council for Imams and Preachers of Kenya said.
Penal Code reform
The religious leaders called on Parliament to engage relevant government agencies, including the Ministry of Education, Health, Foreign Affairs, Labor, and the Inspector General of Police, to investigate the infiltration of LGBTQ in various sectors.
They singled out schools, curriculum, health sector and the civil Society as some of the most affected areas where they claim LGBTQ agenda is being “sneaked in” through foreign funding.
Expressing concerns over the impact of LGBTQ lobbying on education, the clerics argued lobbyists were out to “confuse” learners by distorting the curriculum.
“A specific example in one of the Grade 4 books that has less than subtle depiction of gay relationships. This is an affront on future generations and seeks to further confuse and mislead our young children,” the alliance stated.
The clerics urged Parliament to urgently investigate publishers and book distributors of offensive material.
They challenged the government to come out and explain the measures in place to address the situation.
“We want the inspector general and Ministry of Labour to indicate respectively what they are doing to promote family values and to enforce our laws against homosexuality,” the alliance added.
Kaluma Bill
Further, the clerics urged Parliament to reject a proposed “Decriminalization Bill” by the National Council on Administration of Justice (NCAJ) and emphasized the importance of amending the Penal Code in a manner that aligns with the Constitution while preserving its principles.
The religious leaders urged parliament to “only amend the Penal Code in a manner that gives life to the Constitution rather than suffocate it.”
Additionally, the clerics asked Parliament to accelerate consideration of the Family Protection Bill sponsored by Homabay Town MP Peter Kaluma.
The Kaluma Bill seeks to criminalize all forms of homosexuality and same-sex unions.
The Bill, currently in its early stages in Parliament, also seeks to define “sex” as “the state of being male or female.”
