Nairobi, 22 April, 2023 / 9:45 pm (ACI Africa).
There is a need to amend Kenya’s Constitution of 2010 to safeguard and fortify “cultural and religious values on marriage and family” in the East African nation, members of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) have said.
In a collective statement issued on Thursday, April 20 at the conclusion of their weeklong Plenary Assembly in Nairobi, KCCB members reiterate their March 10 opposition to Kenyan Supreme Court ruling of February 24 that allowed the registration of associations and groups that foster Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+).
According to KCCB members, Kenya’s apex court ruling "was based on an erroneous interpretation of the clauses on the freedom of association (Art. 36,1)”.
Article 36,1, which Catholic Bishops in Kenya say was misinterpreted states, “Every person has the right to freedom of association, which includes the right to form, join or participate in the activities of an association of any kind.”
The clause on the right to establish or be part of “activities of an association of any kind” cannot be interpreted to include undertakings negatively affect the marriage and family institutions that the Kenyan Constitution safeguards, they say.