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Same sex couples in India/AFP

Kenya

Girls admit lesbianism at Kenyan school

Same sex couples in India/AFP

MOMBASA, Kenya, Feb 8 – Six students at Moi Kadzodzo Girls Secondary School in Kilifi County on Wednesday allegedly admitted to having practised lesbianism at the school after they were grilled by education officers. 

This was revealed as the government dispatched a team of education inspectors to the school to investigate allegation of lesbianism within the learning institution.    

The probe team led by Kaloleni District Education Officer Julius Nkarichia confirmed that the students who had been sent home to fetch their parents admitted practising the vice. 

He said six others denied being involved in the vice and a team had been set up to counsel them.

The school principal Dorcas Kavuku said the students had been sent home pending investigations into the matter. 

“I got reports from the general students body that these particular girls were not behaving according to the school rules. They practised lavish touching and kissed each other which is not normal for people of the same gender,” said Kavuku.

She said she issued the girls with leave outs for them fetch their parents in order to enable them receive joint counselling from both stakeholders to prevent the students from becoming psychologically affected. 

In Kenya homosexuality, lesbianism and transgender remain widely unacceptable in the society.

This latest case is yet another indication on the dilemma of handling same sex relations.

It presents an opportunity for Kenya to think of how it will handle the situation since it cannot disown the six minors who represent many others in other schools as reported. 

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Despite reports of increasing numbers of gays in the country, it has remained apparent that Kenya is not about to accept them.

But due to the fight against HIV/AIDS, there is pressure in the country to involve gays, lesbians and transgender people in their programmes.

It has been discovered that due to the stigma, most gay people have partners but stick to their marriages with the opposite sex to shield themselves from societal discrimination.

In 2010, Prime Minister Raila Odinga ordered for a crack down of gay people in Kenya and said those found practising it should be arrested but he later withdrew his statement saying he had nothing against the gay community.

The same year Special Programmes Minister Esther Murugi came into sharp criticism after saying that lesbians and homosexuals should be involved in HIV/AIDS programmes.

Her reasons were that they are classified as under high risk HIV/AIDS populations which also gave them a right to healthcare like all other Kenyans and should not be stigmatised.

She was however categorical that homosexuality should not be legalised in the country but said the underlying issues had to be addressed without fear or shame.

Kenya’s neighbour Uganda is also grappling with the same challenge of handing the gay issue which remains illegal and attracts jail terms of up to 14 years in prison. 

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