Former presidential candidate Reuben Kigame has urged the public not to judge others through emotions.
Through his Twitter handle on Tuesday, Kigame explained that LGBTQ people ought to be listened to and understood.
“On LBGTQ, the emotions go high because we are not listening to or understanding each other. As a result, we judge each other using emotions. This ought not to be,” Kigame said.
“Listening and carefully reading is just as important as talking or writing.”
Kigame said people with disability or physical challenges should not be judged or condemned.
“Nobody should judge or condemn another by morphology, gender, genetic composition, disability or physical challenge,” Kigame said.
“Article 27 of our Constitution confirms this. However, any right can be limited by what we do with it. Even freedom of association has been abused.”
He said it is wrong to force youths to join LGBTQ through the legislature or financial inducements.
“It is just as wrong to force someone to convert to Christianity or Islam as it is to push our youth to join LGBTQ by legislation or financial incentives,” he said.
This comes amid a national debate following the Supreme Court's ruling to allow the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission to be register as a legal NGO.
The court ruled that although homosexuality is illegal in Kenya, it cannot deny the community the right to association.
Kigame said the public should be involved to determine those who support the ruling and those who don’t.
“I insist that public participation on this question is important because it involves those who support the ruling and those who don’t. I am not particularly sure about the wisdom of legislating morality,” he said.
