“Being gay is not a crime in Kenya. However, there is still the penal code that outlaws homosexual acts or ‘acts against the order of nature’ between men. The new constitution does offer some hope, by being all inclusive and respecting the rights of all minorities, thanks to having the Bill of Human Rights enshrined in what has been described as Kenya’s best constitution. This is a huge step for the queer community and movement in Kenya. But cases of blackmail, harassment, assault, incidents of ‘corrective rape’, extortion and reports of suicide still occur. Kenya may offer a relatively more open space for the queer community but it is not out of the woods yet. Homophobia still exists and, unfortunately, the queer community is not given the space to tell their stories or even determine how they want to be depicted in the public eye.” Kevin Mwachiro.
Kenyan activists vocally campaign against discrimination and for the respect of the dignity of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals and intersex individuals. As a journalist and activist, Kevin Mwachiro has taken on the task of collecting stories from this community. Talking to the young or the old, city dwellers or men and women in the countryside, the poor or the rich, Mwachiro has transcribed the accounts of men and women who have chosen to remain true to themselves despite the many odds that they have faced. Invisible is an exploration of their respective journeys.
The book is published in collaboration with the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung and the Gay Kenya Trust, supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Read here the related Articles:
"Kenya may be uniquely ripe fro advances in gay rights" (in Global Post, February 19, 2014)
"Kenyan gays come together to tell their varied stories" (in Daily Nation, February 14, 2014)