Africa
Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania move to further curtail LGBTQ rights
Ugandan MPs considering another anti-homosexuality bill

Three East African countries are tightening the noose on the so-called promotion of homosexuality through new laws and banning LGBTQ-specific content.
Lawmakers in Uganda and Kenya have introduced bills that would curtail the promotion of LGBTQ-specific activities with stiff penalties above their respective penal codes that criminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations. Tanzania has recently banned LGBTQ-specific books.
Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2022, would sentence anyone who identifies with ālesbianism, gay, transgender, queer or any other sexual or gender identity contrary to the binary categories of male and femaleā to 10 years in prison.
The proposed law that was set to be tabled any time after its postponement on Wednesday for further preparation would impose a 5-year prison sentence or a fine of around $27,000 or both to anyone who is found guilty of promoting homosexuality in Uganda. The measure’s definition of promotion includes production, procuring, marketing, broadcasting, disseminating using electronic devices, publishing LGBTQ pornography and funding or sponsoring homosexuality.
Ugandaās latest move follows a growing number of LGBTQ-specific activities in the country that include the painting of rainbow colors at a children’s park in January that a local council removed because it went “against the norms of the people of Uganda.ā
Moreover, Ugandaās NGO Bureau, which monitors NGOs that operate in the country, in January recommended a new law that āprohibits the promotion of LGBTQ activities in the country.ā
Also, the move results from the Church of Englandās decision earlier this year to allow its priests to bless same-sex couples. ThisĀ angeredĀ the Anglican Church of Uganda andĀ MuslimsĀ who called upon MPs to crack down on homosexuality through legislation.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
Anyone convicted of providing a house, a brothel or any other place in which LGBTQ-specific activities can take place could face up to seven years in jail under the new bill.
āWhere the offender is a corporate body or a business or an association or a non-governmental organization, on conviction its certificate of registration shall be canceled and the director, proprietor or promoter shall be liable to two years imprisonment on conviction,” the bill reads.
Anyone found guilty of conducting a same-sex marriage could face up to two years in prison and the business that hosts such a ceremony could lose their business license.
The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has cautioned Ugandaās Parliament against proceeding with the bill, while noting that the āState has a duty to ensure full protection of all people from violence and discrimination regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.ā
Frank Mugisha, a Ugandan LGBTQ and intersex rights activist, has raised concerns about a rising number of homophobic attacks committed by people and security officials in the country since January.
āThe LGBTQ community continues to face a harsh operational environment, an increase in direct and indirect attacks, and surveillance in its spaces. This has made it difficult for LGBTQ organizations to do advocacy and deliver services to the communities because of the fear of being arrested by security agencies,ā Mugisha said in a statement.
He has documented dozens of harassment and assault incidents to LGBTQ and intersex people, including one on February 18 where a transgender woman residing in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, was assaulted at a friendās party after discovering her gender.
In Kenya, a bill that would further criminalize and punish people who engage in homosexuality and promote it is poised to be introduced in the country’s Parliament.
āThe proposed law intended to further the provision of Article 45 (2) of the Constitution of Kenya and to protect the family will not only consolidate the existing laws relating to unnatural sexual acts but also increase the penalty for those convicted of engaging or promoting the acts to imprisonment for life or consummate sentence,ā reads theĀ notification.Ā “Article 45 (2) of the constitution provides that every adult has the right to marry a person of the opposite sex based on the free consent of the parties to start a family, which is recognized as the natural and fundamental unit of society.”
Last week’s Supreme Court ruling that allows an LGBTQ and intersex rights group, the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, to register as an NGO after years of court battles with the countryās NGOs Board has elicited criticism from religious leaders, lawmakers, the president and Kenyans themselves.
āWe respect our court’s decisions but in Kenya, we have our culture, traditions, and religious beliefs. We canāt go the road of women marrying women or men marrying men. Same-sex marriage will happen somewhere else and not in Kenya,ā President William Ruto stated on March 2 at a womenās function in Nairobi, the country’s capital.
Pressure is mounting on the seven Supreme Court judges to reverse the ruling, with Attorney General Justin Muturi vowing to challenge it. Muslim and Christian groups have planned a March 17 protest against the ruling.
The ruling has put the judges in a bind since a Supreme Court decision is final and cannot be appealed in any court in the country. The East African Court of Justice, which is based in Arusha, Tanzania, can consider an appeal.
Critics of the ruling argue that the queer group does not deserve an association, since Kenya’s penal code criminalizes homosexuality and the Supreme Court decision gives leeway for legalizing it from an appeal pending in the countryās second highest court.
Thirteen groups that include the American Jewish World Service, Amnesty International-Kenya, the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and the Kenya Human Rights Commission on Thursday issued a joint statement in support of the ruling.
“The judgment has demonstrated the great strides that Kenya has taken to promote the rule of law, democracy, and human rights,” it reads.
The groups insist that granting the LGBTQ and intersex community the right to form associations is in line with the spirit of Kenya’s constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression under Article 33 and freedom of association under Article 27 without any form of discrimination.
Tanzania, which also criminalizes same-sex relations, has joined neighboring Kenya and Uganda in restricting LGBTQ and rights.
President Samia Suluhu last month described LGBTQ rights as āimported culturesā as she cautioned university students against it.
The Tanzanian government recently banned a popular series of childrenās books from schools that contain LGBTQ-specific content.
āThe Diary of a Wimpy Kidā by U.S. author Jeff Kinney and another book, āSex Education: A Guide to Lifeā were removed from libraries in public and private schools. The government has also committed to increasing its surveillance on books with LGBTQ-specific content.
South Africa
South Africa groups offer muted response to president’s pledge to protect LGBTQ rights
Cyril Ramaphosa gave State of the Nation speech on Feb. 6

Several South African advocacy groups say they are not moved by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pledge to protect LGBTQ rights during the State of the Nation speech he delivered in Cape Town on Feb. 6.
āAs South Africans, we stand for peace and justice, for equality and solidarity. We stand for non-racialism and democracy, for tolerance and compassion,” said Ramaphosa. “We stand for equal rights for women, for persons with disability and for members of the LGBTQI+ community.”
Even though the president made the proclamation, LGBTQ South Africans continue to face hate crimes that often end in the loss of life, despite laws that include the Preventing and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech and the prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation enshrined in the constitution.
In addition, U.S. President Donald Trump’s 90-day moratorium on nearly all American foreign aid has impacted several LGBTQ organizations in South Africa.
Bruce Walker, convenor of Pretoria Pride, said he appreciated Ramaphosa’s comments about the protection of LGBTQ rights, but added they were mere grandstanding.
āWe really appreciate him saying this and itās a good thing for an African leader to speak out about the rights of the LGBTI community. LGBTI rights are in our Bill of Rights and constitution,ā said Walker. āHowever, the presidentās utterances were just pure window dressing because the current government refuses to condemn the treatment of LGBTI communities in Africa, and are very quiet on the imprisonment and execution of LGBTI people in the world but fight and spend millions to condemn Israel.ā
Iranti nevertheless said it expected the president to stay true to his word and ensure the rights of the LGBTQ community are protected as the country’s constitution outlines.
āPresident Ramaphosa affirmed that he stands with members of the LGBTQIA+ community, a very important act as we witness a regression of LGBTQIA+ rights and the growth of anti-gender movements across the globe,” said Iranti. “We urge the president to follow up on this commitment, with concrete strategies and actions that will improve the lives of LGBTQIA+ people in South Africa.”
South Africa is the only African country that constitutionally recognizes LGBTQ rights. Many South Africans, however, do not recognize the LGBTQ community because of cultural and religious beliefs and the idea that homosexuality is a Western import.
The suspension of nearly all U.S. foreign aid has impacted the Uthingo Network, OUT LGBT Well-Being, Iranti, and other advocacy groups. Trump on Feb. 7 signed an executive order that limits American financial assistance to South Africa because of the Expropriation Act that Ramaphosa signed last month.
Though the Expropriation Act involves compensation, some of the land the government has deemed of public interest ā for infrastructure projects, public service expansion, and environment conservation ā can be expropriated without permission. Trump said the law violates South Africans’ rights.
Kenya
Kenyan president defends Trump executive order on two genders
Advocacy groups criticized William Ruto’s Jan. 26 comments

Kenyan President William Ruto is facing backlash for backing U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order that recognizes only two genders: Male and female.
Rutoās support for Trumpās decision to ban transgender people from serving in the U.S. military and competing on women’s sports teams has drawn criticism from human rights defenders, lawmakers, lawyers, and intersex activists.
Rutoās critics cite Kenyaās 2022 landmark decision to officially recognize intersex people as the third gender with an “I” gender marker after years of court battles for recognition and their inclusion in a national Census for the first time in 2019.
āWe are very proud that contrary to what has been happening in the past, this year we got some very welcoming developments in the United States that as a leading democracy, we have gotten to understand that the policy direction of the U.S. supports what we believe in,ā Ruto stated during a Jan. 26 speech at the Global Cathedral Church’s annual convention in Nairobi. “Boys must remain boys, men must remain men, women must remain women and girls must remain girls.ā
Rutoās position to side with Trump on sex and gender identity contradicts his previous stance during the Biden-Harris administration when he was cautious about speaking about transgender and queer rights in order not to jeopardize his relationship with Washington.
Trump on Jan. 21 signed an executive order that directed the U.S. federal government to only recognize male and female genders. This directive revoked the Biden-era policy that recognized trans rights and allowed trans servicemembers.
Trump on Feb. 6 signed another executive order that bans trans athletes from competing on female sports teams
āThe war on womenās sports is over,ā he said.
āWe’re putting every school receiving taxpayer dollars on notice that if you let men take over women’s sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding,ā Trump warned. “From now on, women’s sports will be only for women.”
His executive order relies partly on the U.S. Justice Department’s authority to bring enforcement actions under Title IX, which bars sex discrimination in education and requires schools to offer girls an equal opportunity to play sports. The law, under Trump’s interpretation, forbids trans girls from playing in girls’ sports.
Trump in 2017 banned trans people from serving openly in the U.S. military.
āWe thank God that this year the first very news from the U.S. in the new administration is to confirm what the Bible says, what our faith believes in, and what our tradition firmly is grounded on,ā Ruto said in his speech.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), a government-funded body, described Ruto’s comments as “embarrassing and unfortunate.”
āIn Kenya, the law is very clear and the Childrenās Act recognizes the intersex because they are unique persons as they have no issues based on sex identity or gender orientation,ā said an intersex rights activist who asked the Washington Blade to remain anonymous. āHis sentiments are likely to increase stigma against the intersex persons and if they are discriminated against, anyone will just go to court because they are also protected by the law.ā
Esther Passaris, an opposition MP who represents Nairobi County, maintained there are not two sexes in Kenya.
āLetās face it, we have intersex children with two or incomplete sexes. These children require our love as a society,” she said. “Let God deal with the genders.”
Since the recognition of intersex people, several policy measures to tackle discrimination have been implemented to ensure their protection and equal treatment.
Kenya last week officially recognized intersex people at birth, allowing them to receive birth certificates with an “I” gender marker. The KNCHR described this decision as āa historic milestoneā that aligns with the Kenyan constitution and other existing policy measures that include the Children Act and the proposed Intersex Persons Bill, 2024.
āThis is a major step towards securing rights, dignity, and equal opportunities for all intersex persons in Kenya,ā KNCHR stated.
KNCHR asked Kenyans, state, and non-state institutions to support awareness, policy reforms, and the inclusion of intersex people for the latest reform to be implemented successfully.
Africa
Suspension of US aid forces PEPFAR-funded programs in Africa to close down
Funding freeze is ‘matter of life and death’

The suspension of nearly all U.S. foreign aid has forced a number of programs that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief funds in Africa to shut down.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Jan. 24Ā directedĀ State Department personnel to stop nearly all U.S. foreign aid spending for 90 days in response toĀ an executive orderĀ that President Donald Trump signed after his inauguration. Rubio later issued a waiver that allows PEPFAR and other ālife-saving humanitarian assistanceā programs to continue operating after bowing to pressure.
A message on the U.S. Agency for International Development’s website notes “all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs.” The announcement is scheduled to take place on Friday at 11:59 p.m. ET.
One of the PEPFAR-funded healthcare programs in Kenya still impacted by the funding freeze, despite Rubio’s waiver, is the Fahari ya Jamii (“joy of the community” in Swahili) initiative that began in 2022. The University of Nairobi was jointly implementing the project.
The Sh4.2 billion ($32,558,139.52) project sought to coordinate and manage high quality, cost-effective, and accessible HIV services in Nairobi, neighboring Kajiado County, and other parts of Kenya. Fahari ya Jamii was scheduled to end in May 2026, but it has closed indefinitely because of a lack of U.S. funding.
More than 700 staff, mostly healthcare workers, on Jan. 31 were placed on unpaid leave for three months, or until Washington decides whether to unfreeze funding. More than 150 Fahari ya Jamii clinics that offer HIV treatment to at least 72,000 people on antiretroviral drugs have also shut down.
The initiativeās target groups include children, adolescents, and adults living with HIV; young people, men, and women at risk of HIV; and key populations that include men who have sex with men and female sex workers. Fahari ya Jamii since 2022 has offered HIV tests to more than 257,500 people, connected 94 percent of those who tested positive to treatment, distributed condoms and lubricants, and disseminated safter sex messages to their target groups.
Faith Ndungāu, advocacy manager for Kenya’s Health NGOs’ Network (HENNET) said the Trump-Vance administration should have used a humane approach to engage with countries that benefit from U.S. funding, instead of abruptly suspending it.
āWe are feeling the magnitude of the suspension in the health sector because these are lives; these are people,” said Ndung’u. “When such an abrupt decision is made, we are talking about more than one million people living with HIV being affected.ā
HENNET is an umbrella group with 112 members from local and international NGOs, faith-based organizations, and research institutions that focus on health-related issues inĀ Kenyaās 47 local governments.
āThis is now a wakeup call for Kenya and Africa to invest in the health sector by funding it more not to be in a similar crisis when a donor pulls out or forfeits his commitment,ā Ndungāu said.
Local governments that also rely on USAID to run PEPFAR programs have suspended their U.S.-funded activities and phased out the stand-alone comprehensive HIV care centers by integrating treatment and care into general health care services. This move has forced hundreds of health care workers to go onto unpaid leave and wait for further guidance.
Pema Kenya, a Mombasa-based queer lobby group, said the decision to suspend funding means “uncertain times” for the LGBTQ community and Kenyans at large who depend upon U.S.-funded groups for their health care.
āMany queer organizations rely heavily on USAID funding for vital services such as HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, mental health support, and legal aid,ā Pema Kenya stated.
Pema Kenya noted the suspension of U.S. aid could severely cripple queer organizations and leave vulnerable people with limited access to crucial resources.
āThis would be a significant setback in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other health crises disproportionately affecting the LGBTQ+ community,ā Pema Kenya stated.
GALCK, a coalition of 16 Kenyan LGBTQ rights groups, was even more blunt.
“This isn’t just a policy decision; it’s a matter of life and death,” it said in a statement.
OUT and Engage Man’s Health ā two South African organizations that provide HIV services to MSM, transgender people, sex workers, and other vulnerable groups through PEPFAR ā have also been impacted by the U.S. funding freeze.
OUT and Engage Manās Health, which provides HIV services to MSM, announced on Jan. 27 that it will stop offering services āuntil further noticeā due to a lack of funding. The organization asked its clients to seek services from the nearest public health facilities.
āWe deeply value our clients and remain committed to safeguarding your health,” said the announcement. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disruption this may cause. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide further details at this time.ā
Kenya and most other African countries have said a permanent suspension of U.S. aid will adversely impact progress made in the health sector, particularly the fight against HIV/AIDS. Botswana and some other nations on the continent that use their national budgets to purchase antiretroviral drugs, have assured their citizens the supply of these medications will not be interrupted.