Lesbian romance film shows to sell-out crowd in Nairobi after court lifts ban

Sheila Munyiva and Samantha Mugatsia, who played the leading roles in "Rafiki", at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 9, 2018.

Rafiki, an acclaimed film portraying a lesbian romance that was until Friday banned in Kenya where it was made, showed on Sunday to a cheering, sold-out audience in Nairobi.

Nairobi residents will be able to watch Rafiki during daytime-only screenings at the Prestige Cinema in the capital for a week after a judge on Friday temporarily lifted a ban on the film, making it eligible to be entered for a Foreign Language Oscar. Rafiki means “friend” in the Swahili language.