Advertisement

“Voluntarily repent and resign”: Pro-Lifers in Kenya to Pro-LGBTQ Ruling Judges

Kenya's Supreme Court. Credit: Kenya's Supreme Court

Pro-lifers in Kenya, including religious leaders representing different faiths and denominations, are calling on the three Kenyan Supreme Court Judges who, earlier this year, voted for the registration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer persons (LGBTQ) Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the East African nation to “voluntarily repent and resign”. 

In an October 6 protest match involving pro-lifers in Kenya, who included representatives of religious leaders and Members of Parliament (MPs) in the country, the February 24 Kenya’s Supreme Court ruling that people with homosexual orientation have a right to form and register associations was faulted. 

In the ruling, the Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, and Judges Njoki Ndung’u, and Smokin Wanjala argued that “despite gayism being illegal (in Kenya), they have a right of association.”

Judges Mohammed Ibrahim and William Ouko differed from their counterparts, saying that allowing registration of such an organization was equal to championing actions contrary to the law.

On September 12, the Kenyan court went on to dismiss the petition that sought to challenge the February 24 ruling.

Advertisement

On October 6, the pro-lifers in Kenya demonstrated against the ruling by marching to the Supreme Court and the Parliament buildings in Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi. 

In letters presented to the judges during the anti-LGBTQ protests on October 6, the pro-lifers say the three judges “erred in law" and contravened the Constitution of Kenya, 2010

They add that the ruling that was made in favor of LCBTQ persons "is a gross violation of the Constitution and a breach to your oath of office which deprives you of the legitimacy to hold the office of Justice of the supreme court of Kenya.”

“We hereby demand that you voluntarily repent and resign from your office which can start to rebuild the confidence of Kenyans in the Judiciary and the administration of Justice in Kenya,” they say in the letters signed by Empowered Youth Coalition, Citizen Go Africa, Ummah Foundation and the East Africa Centre for Law and Justice, among others.

The pro-lifers add that the majority of Kenyans “are aggrieved by the Gross intellectual dishonesty and judicial craft of interpretation from the determination of the Supreme Court of Kenya.”

More in Africa

They further say that the judges’ interpretation of the word sex to include orientation opens up “a Pandora's Box that will slowly erode our country’s moral, cultural and social fabric in a country that acknowledges God in its constitution.”

In a separate letter to Kenya’s Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome, the pro-lifers say they find it “unfortunate” that the ruling has been upheld during her tenure.

“All this is happening under your watch and your legacy will be dented forever unless you take specific action to remedy this unfortunate error,” they say.

The Kenyan pro-lifers call on the CJ who also serves as the President of the Supreme Court in Kenya to provide “leadership on this pertinent matter to avert moral, cultural and religious decay in Kenya.”

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.