CHIEFS STOP GAY WEDDING IN KENYA

The BBC reports that local chiefs and government officials have blocked a gay wedding between two men from taking place near Mombasa in Kenya.

According to the BBC website, the ceremony was set to take place in a private villa. The community leaders intervened after plans for the wedding were reported in the local media.

“I was shocked… I won’t allow it,” Chief Hussein Swaleh told the BBC. Officials said that they would work with the chiefs to evict the men from their house and the area.

Reuters further reported that five people, who will appear in court shortly, were arrested at the villa when police stormed the residence.

Homosexuality is illegal in Kenya, with a penalty of five to fourteen years’ imprisonment.

According to the 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Project, around 96% of Kenyan residents believe that homosexuality should be rejected by society, making it one of the countries with the highest anti-gay sentiment among the 44 nations surveyed.