Kenyan court rules forced anal examination for suspected gay men is unlawful
The decision by the Court of Appeal overturns a previous ruling from 2016 on the legality of such examinations.
A Kenyan court on Thursday ruled that the forced anal examination of men suspected of being gay is unlawful.
This is after Rights groups had moved to court arguing that the forced tests are a form of torture, and should be abolished.
Until Thursday, Kenya was one of at least eight countries worldwide where men suspected of being gay were put through the forced anal tests.
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The decision by the Court of Appeal overturns a previous ruling from 2016 on the legality of such examinations, and whether they violate an individual’s privacy.
Human Rights Watch says the “cruel, inhuman and humiliating” process usually involves medical personnel “inserting their fingers, and sometimes other objects, into the anus of the accused. In other cases, men are ordered to strip naked and bend over or lie down with their feet in stirrups while doctors “visually” examine their anal regions”
Just like most African countries, homosexual acts are illegal in Kenya, and are punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
LGBTQ campaigners hope the ruling will influence another court case under way to decriminalize gay sex.
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