- They said Kaluma's negative attitude, feelings and beliefs towards LGBTQ individuals are unacceptable and disgraceful.
- The group said that they will oppose the bill in Parliament and in the courts.
Image: COURTESY.
Atheists have come out to protest the introduction of a bill in Parliament that seeks to jail homosexuals or those promoting the act for life.
The Atheists in Kenya Society has written to the proprietor of the bill, Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, condemning him.
They said that as a lawyer and a legislator, the MP should be at the frontline of promoting human rights.
"What you are doing is fueling the repression of a marginalised community in Kenya. We expect you to be a promoter of gender diversity with respect to sexual orientation," they said.
The group said that they will oppose the bill in Parliament and in the courts.
This comes in the midst of a national debate following Supreme Court's ruling to allow the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) to be register as a legal NGO.
The court ruled that although homosexuality is illegal in Kenya, they cannot deny the community the right of association.
Kaluma's bill equally divided the country in opinion.
The MP said the proposed law is intended to protect the family unit with the proposed hefty penalties geared towards discouraging the practice.
“It will not only consolidate existing laws relating to unnatural sexual acts but also increase the penalty for those convicted of engaging or promoting the acts to life imprisonment,” he stated.
However, the Atheists said that Kaluma's negative attitudes, feelings and beliefs towards LGBTQ individuals and those perceived to be of the sexual orientations or gender identities are unacceptable and disgraceful.