REPORT: 60 ARRESTED IN KENYA GAY BAR RAID

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The interior of club Envy

Club Envy is said to be popular with gays and lesbians

There are reports that around 60 patrons were arrested in a raid on a bar popular with gays and lesbians in Nairobi over the weekend.

“While most were either going home to sleep after a night of debauchery or waking up and getting ready to go to church, some Kenyans were being welcomed by the state as guests in its five star accommodation at Central police station,” said the site Ghafla.co.ke.

It added: “Their crime? Getting caught at a gay bar.”

There were claims that the raid was to do with club Envy serving liquor later than it was allowed to under laws championed by John Mututho, head of the country’s anti drug and alcohol campaign, but the site said otherwise.

A source told it: “The arrests at Envy had nothing to do with Mututho law but just trying to suppress the visibility of gays and lesbians.”

The site reported that the raid was ordered after government officials learned that the bar had a gay clientele.

“They sent their security apparatus to harass innocent homosexuals who were not even taking part in any buggery but rather enjoying their hard earned money,” it said.

On Sunday, Kenyan human rights campaigner Denis Nzioka reported on Facebook that some of those arrested had been released on bail and that they are expected to be charged with drunk and disorderly behaviour.

Same-sex consensual sex among adults is illegal in Kenya, with penalties of between five to 14 years imprisonment.

In March, majority parliamentary leader Aden Duale, compared homosexuality to terrorism but rejected pressure to implement tougher laws against homosexuality.

A global survey released last year found that 90% of Kenyans believe that homosexuality should not be accepted by society.

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