Naivasha Residents Attack Two Drunk Men For Making Out In A Bar

Drama erupted in Naivasha after two men were caught caressing and making out in one of the bars in that area. Irate residents attacked them injuring one of the men before a group of well-wishers came to their rescue. Trouble started after the two men who were having a drink in the bar on Tuesday evening began fondling each other as people watched them in awe. One of the witnesses, Paul Mwaura said that the bizarre incident left those drinking in the bar seething in anger.

The witness shared that things took a different turn when one of the men tried to unzip his partner forcing the irate observers to react and intervene. He said, “The two who were drunk and decided to make out with irate members of the public threw them out of the bar before seriously beating them,”

Mwaura added that for the last few months, the number of LGBTQ couples in the town has increased with some using Airbnb houses. He shared, “One of the men is married and residents are still trying to come to terms with the incidents which are on the rise,” Over the past few years LGBTQ members in Kenya have been victims of assault and sometimes murdered over their sexual orientation.

On 17th April 2022, Sheila Adhiambo, a Kenyan hotel worker reported to be a non-binary lesbian faced a homophobic attack. According to reports, six men broke into her apartment, raped and killed her.

The LGBTQ+ community has faced homophobic attacks with some members being subjected to physical abuse. Marylize, Biubwa, cofounder of the queer republic in Kenya shared with DW Global Media Forum,  “Homophobia has always been prevalent, but abuse is based on silence. What queer people cry for all the time that we are now confident enough to say is that we have been here since time immemorial,”

Marylize said that those who carry out homophobic attacks are encouraged by the system since it fails to punish perpetrators of the act. Bwire asserted, “We have been abused and the system in place allows perpetrators of homophobia to find the power to abuse us by making us keep quiet and not say anything,”

Kariuki Ngunjiri, the youth leader of the ruling UDA party in Kenya,  also told DW Global Media Forum that the government is working hard to handle the homophobic attacks against LGBTQ+ people. He said that there is  increased pushback to the increased activism for homophobia in Kenya.” It is now turning out to be activism. We would rather live the way we used to live those days where no one talked about these things.”

Last year, Kenya’s supreme court upheld a mid-September decision to permit the registration of LGBTQ NGOs. This move overturned a dispute that lasted a decade. Previously, Kenya’s NGO Coordinating Board had denied the registration of the National Gay and Lesbian Rights Commission.