Aden Duale fisted: “How can I allow a gay to sit on my chair in the chamber?”

The Curator

Aden Duale was today sensationally removed as National Assembly Majority’s Leader in Parliament. Despite his many years of moving the administration’s agenda – something that endeared him to the powers that be – Duale was replaced by Kipipiri MP, Amos Kimunya.

Noting that he oversaw the passing of 200 bills and over 500 motions, KumbuKumbu was keen to unearth what direction Duale – as the Majority Leader – had on issues close to us.

We found lots!

Aden Duale in his years as Majority Leader, on several occasions, did wade into the issue of homosexuality, at one point declaring “How can I allow a gay to sit on my chair in the chamber?”

“It will be ungodly for me to move such a motion. How do I move it? In what language? How can I allow a gay to sit on my chair in the chamber?” 

Aden Duale, former House Majority Leader, Nov 2019

Homosexuality is like terrorism

In March 2014,  MPs were debating introducing harsher laws against homosexuality in the country.

“Can’t we just be brave enough, seeing that we are a sovereign state, and outlaw gayism and lesbianism, the way Uganda has done?” legislator Alois Lentoimaga asked.

Duale, who speaks on behalf of the Kenyan government in the assembly, said: “We need to go on and address this issue the way we want to address terrorism … It’s as serious as terrorism. It’s as serious as any other social evil,” Duale said, referring to a spate of attacks by al Qaeda-linked Somali Islamist militants carried out in retaliation for Kenya’s intervention in neighboring Somalia.

But he said the Kenyan constitution and the penal code already had sufficient anti-gay provisions, denying the government was reluctant to tighten such laws for fear of losing international aid.

Duale said 595 cases of homosexuality had been investigated in Kenya since 2010, when a new constitution was adopted, and courts had convicted or acquitted the accused, while police had found no organizations openly championing homosexuality in violation of the law.

“We do not need to go the Uganda way, we have the constitution and the penal code to deal with homosexuality, and so this debate is finished, we will not be enacting any new tougher laws,” Duale told Reuters later.

#ICPD25 Conference: No homosexuality, no abortion

In late 2019, organisers of the ICPD+25 conference had to look for alternative places for conference after it was reported their request to meet legislators had been denied.

This was partly to what, National Assembly Aden Duale claimed among the topics the forum would discuss, was homosexuality and lesbianism.

The Kenyan government and the Kingdom of Denmark in conjunction with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) had  convened the Nairobi Summit on International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD-25). 

The Summit took place from November 12 to 14 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) under the theme “Accelerating the Promise”.

Rising on a point of order after Speaker Justin Muturi had read the communication, Duale told the House that among the agenda for the meeting would be a discussion on homosexuality.

“They are hiding behind population and development but the main agenda is gayism and lesbianism. We should not allow them to discuss it here,” Duale said.

He declined a request by the Speaker to move the motion permitting the group to hold the forum in Parliament, saying his beliefs would not allow him to do so.

“It will be ungodly for me to move such a motion. How do I move it? In what language? How can I allow a gay to sit on my chair in the chamber?” he posed.

Leader of Minority John Mbadi, Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu and Godfrey Osotsi (Nominated) all declined to move the motion.

“Having no mover, the motion is dropped and therefore the organisers can look for an alternative venue,” ruled Muturi.

Duale said MPs who are known to oppose homosexuality had been denied accreditation to attend the forum. 

He named Nominated MP Jenifer Shamalla as one of those who had been denied accreditation.

Shamalla confirmed that she had indeed been denied accreditation because of her stand on homosexuality.

“I was told that I’m not welcome to the two-day meeting. No reason was given despite the fact that other colleagues were accredited,” she said.

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