Catholic Archbishop of Mombasa decries official recognition of Kenyan gay-rights group

Sep 20, 2023 by Dave Doveton

By Ngala Killian Chimtom, Catholic Herald.

A leading Catholic prelate in Kenya, who’s set to take part in a Vatican Synod of Bishops next month, has objected to a ruling by the country’s Supreme Court allowing a gay rights group to obtain official recognition as an NGO.

In an interview with the ACI news agency, Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde of the Archdiocese of Mombasa said the court’s decision amounts to promoting a LGBTQ+ agenda in Kenya.

“It is very unfortunate. If you legalize something, it means you are promoting it,” Kivuva said.

“Registering them (LGBTQ associations) means you are giving life to the behaviours. If you join a football club it means you are ready to play football,” he said.

Archbishop Kivuva’s comments came in the wake of a ruling on 12 September by the Supreme Court dismissing a challenge to an earlier decision allowing the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) to register as a non-governmental organization.

Ten years ago, Kenya’s NGO Coordination Board, which has the responsibility to register NGOs, refused an application by the group on the basis that “it promotes same-sex behavior.” In February, however, the Supreme Court overturned that decision, and its recent ruling confirms that the group is allowed to register.

The ruling provoked celebration within the gay community in Kenya.

“The [rulings] mean safety to organize as a community, a movement and organization. [This] win gives an assurance that we are heading in the right direction,” said Marylize Biubwa of Queer Republic.

Androgenous Alpha, the CEO of Nadharia Kenya, an NGO that works to promote gay rights, called it a “bittersweet” moment.

“It’s sweet because the legal system recognizes that we are here. That we exist,” he said.

The bitter aspect of the ruling, Alpha said, stems from the mismatch between a landmark decision like this one and society’s general ignorance of human rights.

It’s a ruling that may not be pleasing to the country’s political leadership. President William Ruto has repeatedly expressed his disapproval of gay relationships, and said the Supreme Court’s decision won’t change that.

“We respect the Supreme Court’s decision, but it doesn’t mean we have to agree with it. Our values, customs, and Christianity do not allow us to support same-sex marriages,” Ruto said.

Read here.