A recent decision by Kenya to support the renewal of an international LGBTQ+ rights expert at the United Nations Human Rights Council has triggered fierce backlash at home, exposing deep divisions within the country’s political landscape.
On Monday, Kenya joined other nations in backing a resolution that extended the mandate of the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity a move that has not sat well with some leaders within the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition.
Among the most vocal critics is Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, a longtime opponent of LGBTQ+ rights and a prominent ally of President William Ruto’s administration. Taking to social media shortly after the vote, Kaluma decried the government’s position as a betrayal of Kenya’s cultural and moral fabric.
“Homosexuality/LGBTQ perversion imposed upon developing nations by the West is destroying our societies,” Kaluma wrote. “We cannot support it in whatever form. It is repugnant to our culture, is detrimental to health, is contrary to our faiths, and is outright unacceptable.”
The MP framed the vote as part of a broader pattern of cultural domination by Western powers, accusing them of pushing alien ideologies onto African nations. He also pointed to what he described as a global re-evaluation of LGBTQ+ rights citing recent policy reversals in parts of the U.S. and Europe to argue that the global tide was turning against such advocacy.
Kaluma called for Kenya to withdraw its support immediately, insisting that national values must take precedence in all foreign policy decisions. “Our cultural values are priceless and can’t be traded for anything under the sun,” he declared.
The UN vote has become a flashpoint in Kenya’s ongoing debate over human rights, sovereignty, and cultural identity. While some defend the country’s alignment with international human rights frameworks, others, like Kaluma, see it as a threat to the moral and cultural foundations of society.
As the conversation grows louder, the government is likely to face increasing pressure to clarify its position both on the global stage and to a deeply divided domestic audience.
