But it also, in a way, dovetailed with what many of them have been saying amid the media frenzy over the issue: that Kenya does have much bigger issues than the presence of LGBT citizens. Many criticized the furor over the issue in the last couple weeks as a distraction tactic by a struggling government.

“Kenyan does have issues that are greater priorities. We are facing insecurity, we are facing unemployment, and all those things that he talked about,” said Anthony Oluoch, executive director of the Gay Kenya Trust.

“But you know gay and lesbian people are also part of Kenyan society. There are people who are being evicted from their houses, facing violence for being gay, lesbians being correctively raped… It may not be an issue for a majority of Kenyans, but for the minority of Kenyans who are facing all this discrimination, it’s a huge issue.”

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