Kenya bans movie over promoting homosexuality

Ziki and Kena (centre) the lead actors in Rafiki. PHOTO | COURTESY

If you thought Uganda was the only country fighting homosexuality, think again. It is an East African Community thing.

The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) in has forbidden a local film over allegations that the movie promotes lesbianism.

The movie titled Rafiki is directed by a Kenyan, Wanuri Kahiu and was due to premier at the International Film Festival Cannes next month.

According to Nairobi News, it is an LGBT love story of two teenage girls who develop romance, as opposed to their families and community norms.

KFCB says the movie’s depiction of homosexuality is contrary to the laws and culture of Kenyans.

“It is our considered view that the moral of the story in this film is to legitimize lesbianism in Kenya contrary to the law and the board’s content classification guidelines,” a statement by the KFCB CEO Ezekiel Mutua partly reads.

He adds that the film should not be distributed or shown anywhere in the country and anyone found with a copy would be in breach of the law.

The said film was adapted from the short story Jambula Tree by Uganda’s Monica Arac de Nyeko, which was awarded the prestigious Caine Prize for African Writing in 2007.