Education CS Magoha Criticized for Homophobic Remarks

By Jefferson Angwenyi

Members of Kenya’s LGBTQ+ community held a protest in Nairobi, denouncing recent remarks by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha. The protesters criticized Magoha’s suggestion to exclude gay, lesbian, and queer students from boarding schools, calling the proposed ban discriminatory and harmful.

On February, 2022, during an address in Nairobi County, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha made a controversial statement regarding LGBTQ+ students in boarding schools. He stated, “If you are a homosexual in a boarding school and you are hopping from a bed of another student to another, your rights end there.”

The National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) has condemned the CS’s remarks, with Imani Kimiri, Head of Legal Affairs, saying, “Statements like these embolden school administrators and act as a justification for violence against students who are perceived to be LGBTQ+, further exacerbating an already terrible situation.”

The CS’s comments have been criticized for violating several provisions of the Kenyan Constitution, including: Article 10(2b): Promoting inclusivity and respect for human rights, Article 27(4): Prohibiting discrimination on any grounds, Article 28: Upholding the dignity of all individuals.
Rights groups have highlighted the CS’s failure to acknowledge the harmful impact of his remarks on LGBTQ+ students, a vulnerable population already struggling against systemic discrimination.

The NGLHRC and other advocacy groups warn that the ongoing campaign of homophobic rhetoric by a senior government official constitutes state-sponsored discrimination. They call on the CS to take responsibility and implement policies that promote inclusivity and protect LGBTQ+ students from violence and harassment.

The issue has sparked a national debate about the treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals in Kenya and the need for urgent action to safeguard their rights and dignity in educational institutions.