Africa

Kenyan court upholds laws criminalizing same sex relations

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Kenya gay and Lesbian activists and their supporters gather outside the Milimani Court in Nairobi, Kenya Friday, May 24, 2019. Kenya's High Court is due to rule Friday on whether laws that criminalise same sex relations are unconstitutional (AP Photo/Khalil Senosi)

Kenya LGBT activists and their supporters gather outside the Milimani Court in Nairobi, Kenya, Friday, May 24, 2019. Kenya's High Court is due to rule Friday on whether laws that criminalise same sex relations are unconstitutional (AP Photo/Khalil Senosi)

A three-judge panel of Kenya's High Court has upheld sections of the country's penal code that criminalize same-sex relations.

The judges' unanimous ruling on Friday disappointed Kenya's vibrant gay community, as many had hoped the court would make history by scrapping the colonial-era laws.

Activists argue that the laws criminalizing consensual same-sex relations between adults are in breach of the constitution because they deny basic rights.

The laws prescribe up to 14 years in prison for people convicted of homosexual acts.