The rampant growth of homosexuality in Kwale county is affecting school going children and the youth.
As a result, nominated MCA Fatuma Nchizumo tabled a bill in the county assembly to protect the vulnerable children from issues of early sex and homosexuality.
The Kwale Anti Pornographic Bill is aimed at reigning in both locals and foreigners from use of children to satisfy their sexual urges hence spoiling their chances to further education.
Nchizumo had tabled the bill in 2015, but has revealed that county assembly speaker Sammy Ruwa had handed the bill to the children committee for amendment and later pass it to the assembly for the third reading. Recently, the bill was presented to the people of Kwale County for public participation and was received very well and elicited a lot of positive feedback.
Nchizumo argued that if the trend is not dealt with urgently and left to continue in Diani, it will deny children their childhood and future especially as it relates to relationships and marriage.
“We need tourism but not sex tourism. Homosexuality and training of young boys to foreign orientation is something leaders should not tolerate at all,” she said.
Nchizumo explained that the bill will restrict homosexuals from open display of affection since religion does not support same sex marriages or relationships.
In February 2015, Kwale county assembly adjourned normal sitting to discuss issues of homosexuality taking place in Diani. The motion was moved by nominated MCA Michael Mutua and supported by all members.
Mutua said young people were being recruited into homosexual behaviours by cartels who are mostly foreigners. He added that the nature of homosexuality is dangerous because recruited victims keep engaging in the vice all the time.
“Many of them are not even using any type of protection and it is dangerous if any one of them is infected with HIV. It will spread and the efforts put by the national and county governments to reduce HIV prevalence will all be in vain,” Mutua said.
Kasemeni) MCA Anthony Yama said that Ukunda depends on tourism but it has declined in recent years. “The lack of jobs in hotels leaves most of the youth idle and you know what they say about being idle. Most of them end up falling prey to the lure of cartels promoting homosexuality.
Nominated MCA Suleiman Nzala claimed that recruiters pocket more than Sh10,000 from each victim who are paid a meagre Sh1000 after the act. To them, this is better than starving and have no means whatsoever to support themselves and their families.
RECRUITED BY A FRIEND
Musa*, 24, reveals he has always been attracted to men since he was a teenager. “Growing up in Diani, I always felt different from my peers as I was never interested in women and had a more feminine nature. While I did not actively go looking to engage in homosexual behaviour, I readily agreed as curiosity got the better of me, and the money was good,” he says.
He recounts how he was introduced to the vice by a fellow peer who had confided in him about his sexual orientation. We were young (about 18 years), fresh out of high school and jobs were not forthcoming. We came from poor families and so every day was a struggle.
So when the opportunity came to make some money, I did not think twice. My first time was hard. I had never had sex and so I fumbled a lot. My ‘client’ was a middle aged man who was to pay me Sh5,000 for the night. I was to give my friend half of this as ‘facilitation fee’. Easy money or so I thought.
Musa wears a forlorn face as he remembers a bad experience that made him almost quit. He had been booked by an old man who was to pay Sh15,000 for the night. “We met up in his hotel room, agreed on the price and got started. He did things with objects that I cannot even talk about and did not pay me. He ordered me out of the room or he was going to call security.”
What was I to do? Unlike a female prostitute who can make noise and demand payment, homosexuality is illegal in Kenya. Would I be assisted or find myself in jail? I had no choice but to leave. It has made me vet my clients more keenly.
What about protection?
Not using protection means a high amount of money will be paid. Yes, it is risky for me but money is more important to me. “Ni Mungu tu!”, he whispers.
Leaders have blamed certain tourists in Diani for recruiting young boys into gay syndicates shooting pornographic movies. Recently, tourist stakeholders, civil society organisations and politicians asked the state security to arrest and bring to book the people behind the syndicate.
Several youths aged between 14 to 25 years, some rumoured to be sons of prominent politicians in Kilifi and religious leaders in the Coast region, are said to have been recruited into the syndicate.
Msambweni Human Right Watch coordinator Mahmoud Barroh, Sands at Nomads and Chale Hotel resident manager Ali Mwapishi and politician Richard Onsongo condemned the vice and said action needs to be taken.
Mwapishi said the issue is portraying a very bad image for the tourist destination. “The nude photographs of reported gay people circulating on social media are of people well known to locals.
Some tourists take advantage and sweet talk the youth with money and other goodies before recruiting them,” he said.
The photographs are said to have been made public by a cyber cafe attendant who was requested to burn a CD for one of the gay person. The cyber attendant has already gone hiding after he started receiving death threats according to resident Musa Awardh.
“He had to leave town for his own security and nobody knows where he is now after he showed the photographs to his friends,” Awadh said.
Msambweni Human Right Watch coordinator Mahmoud Barroh said they will petition relevant authorities and ensure those behind the syndicate are dealt with decisively.
“Some of the boys are pupils from schools in Diani and one of the boys last year represented a certain church in a national youth’s forum. It makes one wonder what type of church it is and who sponsors it,” posed Barroh.
And while it may seem that only the men are being recruited, young ladies are also being lured to take part in the trade.
IT IS EASY MONEY
Amina* is only 20 years old but has been taking part in lesbian orgies for the past three years. Her friend was waitressing part time at a hotel in Diani but money was not enough. It was bad enough when tourist numbers dwindled meaning her “extra tips” were not forthcoming.
“One night, a mzungu tourist asked me where he could get a ‘companion’ for the evening. I told him I’ll give him a contact after dinner. As I continued with my work, I thought, why couldn’t I make that money myself? I was about to end my shift and we could go to another location. I had seen many girls make a lot of money from ‘escorting’ these old men.
That was the beginning of a rollercoaster journey. Soon the acts graduated from just having sex with the old man to having threesomes with another lady he had invited, sometimes he would just pay to watch us have sex while filming. I did not know her and the mzungu was paying triple rate for us not to use protection and record our acts.
“Nani anaweza kata hizo hela?”, Amina quipps.
Barroh also shockingly revealed the existence of a lesbianism syndicate in Diani involving five people among them, the daughter of a prominent person in the country.
“We have information the lesbians meet at a certain villa in Diani. They are suspected to be shooting porn photos and selling them abroad,” noted Baroh.
Kwale county government said they have already launched investigations and will soon bring any suspects to book.
LEGAL MANDATE
Mid this year, the Mombasa High Court upheld the use of anal examinations to determine a suspect’s sexual orientation. Homosexual acts are a crime in Kenya and if found guilty, attracts a possible prison sentence of up to 14 years.
Judge Anyara Emukule made the decision after reviewing the case of two men who were arrested in a bar in February last year on suspicions of engaging in gay sex.
George Njeri and Caleb Idris before the Kwale Law Courts, denied charges of engaging in unnatural acts and trafficking obscene materials contrary to the law.
The two men were subjected to the anal examination procedure, as well as a mandatory HIV and Hepatitis B test, a move they subsequently protested as degrading and abusive.
Human Rights Watch senior researcher Neela Ghoshal said the medical procedures “accomplish nothing, other than humiliating and demeaning people who are considered moral ‘outcasts’.
When reached for comment, Msambweni acting OCPD Patrick Oduma said in the recent past there has been no reported cases of homosexuality.
“I’m yet to receive such cases but I will enquire and see if there are any for action,” he noted.