President William Ruto has tasked Attorney General(AG) Justin Muturi to challenge the Supreme Court ruling delivered on February 24, 2023, allowing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and Queer (LGBTQI+) community to formally register their own association.
The Head of State while speaking during a church service in Kapsabet, Nandi County stated that the AG should review what the Constitution states about the marginalised group noting that he will not allow foreign practices to be enforced on Kenyans.
"Hii mambo ya LGBTQ, Attorney General atarudi mahakamani kuwauliza wakague tena huo uamuzi tujue hayo mambo yako sehemu gani katika katiba ya Kenya. Haya mambo wengine wanataka kutusukumia hayatawezekana katika taifa la Kenya," he stated.
Loosely translated, "The Attorney General will present a petition to the Supreme Court in regard to the LGBTQ ruling and find out what the Constitution states. We cannot allow some of these things being enforced on us."
Ruto's sentiments come barely days after United States ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman made remarks lauding the efforts to protect the LGBTQI+ community in the country.
Through her Twitter account, Meg while vowing to continue fighting for the group's human rights, she said her team had met and engaged these members as well as stakeholders for their welfare.
"Over the past week, my team and I met with the LGBTQI+ community & stakeholders to support the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons. The U.S. proudly advances efforts to protect LGBTQI+ persons from discrimination & violence and will continue to stand up for human rights & equality," she tweeted.
The apex court, in a majority judgment, upheld the decision of the High Court and the Court of Appeal which found the NGO Coordination Board violated the right to freedom of association by denying the registration of an NGO that championed the rights of the LGBTQ community.
The judges noted that by refusing to register the NGO, the persons were convicted before they contravened the law which criminalizes gay sex.
