Thousands of nude Kenyans await Obama

Original article on allAfrica.com

Ahead of US President Barack Obama's historic first visit to Kenya as a sitting president, a little-known political party sought permission for an unusual demonstration: a nude protest march to show Obama "the difference between a man and a woman."

The Republican Liberty Party planned a peaceful demonstration against homosexuality beginning at 10 am at Nairobi's Freedom Corner on July 22 and 23, just before Obama's arrival on July 24 for the 6th Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

"The procession shall be carried out by approximately 5,000 totally naked men and women to protest over Obama's open and aggressive support for homosexuality," party leader Vincent Kidala wrote in a letter notifying the county police commander.

Kidala told Kenya's Star newspaper that the party would draw participants from its network of sex workers in Nairobi, Nakuru, and other counties — and that they had agreed to march free of charge because they would lose customers if homosexuality were legalized. Homosexuality is illegal in Kenya, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

The protest plan came as the White House refused to keep gay rights off the agenda. Kenyan religious leaders had been campaigning to keep Obama from raising the subject, with one bishop organizing an anti-gay-rights march of about 100 people in Nairobi on July 6. But White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Obama does not shy away from raising human-rights concerns when he travels — and confirmed the president planned to address gay rights during the Kenya visit.

Obama had a history of doing exactly that on Africa trips, urging governments to decriminalize homosexuality. Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto was among those who warned him not to talk about it. The debate had sharpened after the US Supreme Court's June 26 decision allowing same-sex marriage nationwide, which Obama hailed on Twitter as a "thunderbolt" and "a big step towards equality."