Before we elevate Njue and Ruto to sainthood, and declare Kenya to be paradise on earth, let’s take another look at this country. First of all, while Ruto is saying that "This country…is a God-fearing nation”, Kenya teeters on a fence between being a republic and being a theocracy. While there are more Christians than Muslims (and more Protestants than Catholics), you can bet that the Suunis will not stand for anything less than a country run by Sharia law. In point of fact, part of Kenya’s court system is already run by Muslims for Muslims. It is no surprise then that homosexuality is not only taboo in Kenya, it is
criminalized. Male homosexuals risk a prison term of 14-21 years. (Hello? Does anyone remember Oscar Wilde?) Female homosexuals are not mentioned in the Constitution, but there is a strong movement to imprison them also.
Here’s a nice little bit of info (
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Kenya#cite_note-1) about homosexuals in Kenya:
“The governmental Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reported in April 2012 that,
‘LGBIs are discriminated, stigmatised and subjected to violence because of their sexual orientation. In cases where they need medical care, they suffer stigma perpetuated by health care providers who breach their privacy and confidentiality by exposing their sexual orientation to other colleagues at the facilities. The health care providers are not friendly and hardly understand their sexual and reproductive health needs. … LGBIs face physical harassment by members of public who mock and assault them for practicing “unnatural” sexual relations. In cases of assault by mob justice, the police often fail to come to their rescue. Upon arrest, police subject them to unnecessary body and house searches allegedly looking for evidence that could link them to other crimes. They are profiled as drug users, past prison convicts or individuals with track records of crimes. They often face arbitrary arrest, are often detained at the police stations, subjected to torture and unnecessary harassment by the police who extort money from them and are only released after bribing their way out. They also suffer sexual abuse from the arresting officers. … When their identities are discovered, LGBIs cannot seek employment or undertake other forms of business - for example running a kiosk. Sometimes, they have to keep relocating to different residential areas to hide their identity. … Further they are often evicted from their rental houses by neighbours and condemned for their orientation which is termed evil. In cases where they are not evicted …, they are not allowed to use common utilities in the residential compounds such as swimming pools. LGBIs are also unable to access spiritual nourishment from the society because they are labelled as evil and the teachings in places of worship interpret LGBI activities as unnatural and unacceptable.’”
Here’s this issue from another angle. As of 2011, the US gave Kenya $714 million in aid; not to mention that nice little chunk of change ($70 million) that we just gave Kenya for alternate energy sources. I think Ruto knows on which side his bread is buttered: “
America has made tremendous contribution to Kenya’s well-being and we are very grateful and as a government we are ready to receive any help from America that will improve the lives of our people.” If Njue and Ruto are so anti–US, I say “Stop the gravy train!” For a country so rife with hatred, violence and corruption, they have a helluva lotta nerve throwing stones at us.
Hmmm. Looks like our American society isn’t so bad after all…
Well said.