KENYAN ACTIVIST MURDERED

There are reports that Charles Omondi Racho, an LGBTI activist in Kisumu, Kenya was murdered last month by a gang of young men.

According to The Truth newspaper, Racho was spotted by the youths, who identified him as gay, at a nightclub.

He and his cousin, Peter Lawi Racho, were later threatened by the gang which allegedly murdered Racho and dumped his body in a roadside thicket in the early hours of the morning.

“I had to run away after those guys attacked my cousin, started beating him aimlessly and threatened to kill me also if I dared raised an alarm”, Peter Racho told the newspaper.

Adams Lenox, a member of the local gay community, said that “…when we reported the matter to the police, no action was taken, only for the police to laugh at us and accuse us of going against the local culture”.

He added: “We are afraid our human rights will continue to be violated by those opposed to our lifestyle and by the time action is taken, we might all be dead”.

Both men said that they and members of the gay community have gone into hiding.

Homosexuality is illegal in Kenya with penalties including imprisonment of between five and 14 years.

In November 2010, Prime Minister Raila Odinga called for gays to be arrested. “This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated in this country. Men or women found engaging in those acts deserve to be arrested and will be arrested,” he was quoted as saying at a rally.