Street protest held over comment by Education CS George Magoha on LGBTQ+ students

Members of the LGBTQ+ community as well as human rights activists have taken to the streets of Nairobi to condemn a comment by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Professor George Magoha, on banning of Gay Students from boarding schools.

According to Prof. Magoha, gay learners should be restricted to day schools closer to their homes.

“Right now, there are contemporary cases of children who are homosexual and lesbians, they must go to day schools close to their homes.

"Your responsibility should be for the greater majority and not a few individuals. Do not allow yourself to be intimidated by children,” said Prof. Magoha said.

The remarks by the CS sparked angry reactions with LGBT community in particular faulting him for profiling the students according to their sexual orientation.

Last year, education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha sparked fresh controversy after directing that students engaging in homosexuality be barred from boarding schools. Pulse Live Kenya

In a letter addressed to the Cabinet of Kenya, an organisation known as the Queer Republic compiled a list of demands for implementation to prevent and curb violence and discrimination towards queer school goers.

Included in the demands is, CS Magoha to attend LGBTQ+ affirming training that would be conducted by LGBTQ+ organizations and groups.

"This training will broaden his knowledge of the LGBTQ+ community and to interact with queers and learn about their experiences and lives," read a press statement.

The group also advocated for the adoption of comprehensive sexuality education in the current Kenyan education system.

"This is so as to provide room for young Kenyans to understand sexuality , identity and sexual orientation," stated Queer Republic.

The group also wants the repeal of Section 162 of Kenya’s colonial-era Penal Code which criminalises sexual acts deemed ‘unnatural’, creating a loop hole for persecution and extortion.

Street protest held over Magoha's comments on LGBTQ+ students Pulse Live Kenya

"Work towards reviewing the Penal Code of the Kenyan constitution where article 162 and 165 criminalizes LGBTQIA+ persons on grounds of identity and intimacy," the statement read.

Their final demand was to have all the queer phobias criminalised: "Criminalize queer phobias that put at risk the lives of queer persons and punishing by law the perpetrators of any attack of this nature towards LGBTQIA + community."