Forget excuses, we should not back homosexual rights

By Mike Owuor

Proponents of homosexual rights in Kenya usually argue it is a reality we should live with and, in any case, those involved in the practice are our sons and daughters. It is an argument a "very disgusted" Mr Peter Mwangi in Nairobi finds flimsy. So, too, does he consider the excuse that being gay or lesbian is largely determined by nature.

Wading into a debate that has gained currency after the civil union between two homosexual Kenyans in London last week, Mwangi supports Mr John S Onyango’s sentiments in yesterday’s PointBlank that there should be stringent laws to discourage the "morally abhorrent foreign idea" from being considered normal.

Against the law

"Since we have thieves, murderers, rapists and other undesirables in society, should we legitimise their activities simply because they are our sons and daughters? Some may even claim that their bad habits are natural and they have no control over them," says Mwangi.

An "undisputed fact", he argues, is that homosexuality is unAfrican and illegal in Kenya and should be stopped before it spreads to unacceptable levels.