Kenya

Homosexual acts are illegal and those caught are severely punished. The paragraphs 162-165 of the Kenyan penal code list these acts as "carnal acts against the order of nature", punishable by a minimum of 5 and up to a maximum of 14 years imprisonment. For a prosecution to be possible, the two have to be caught red handed in the act. Kenya being a tourist country, the police have formed an unholy union with some male prostitutes who lure gay tourists into sex, and then they are faced with a chain of extortion and blackmail. If one finds oneself (invariably), then one should seek support from GALCK (Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, www.galck.org) through the contacts of their website. Many unsuspecting gay people visiting Kenya for the first time leave with a bitter taste but if they do their research and connect through the various groups in GALCK, a lot of pain would be avoided. At present the government of Kenya is failing to protect the lives of citizens in its custody, according to Amnesty International. The subject of homosexuality is strictly taboo and is not discussed anywhere in literature, politics or in the media. A generally accessible gay infra-structure does not exist to our knowledge. The bars listed below are not gay meeting places but are rather mixed addresses where one has a better chance of meeting "gay" people.