Fear Grips LGBTQ Community Living In Kakuma Refugee Camp Following Death Threats

Fear has grappled the LGBTQ community after the Pride event that was organized to demystify the myths surrounding their lifestyles. About 600 people from the community are fearing for their life after they came to celebrate.

Threatening messages have been posted on notice boards around the camp. The messages read as follows;

“This is to inform all men and women (gays) living in Kakuma Zone 1, Block 1, whatever you have been doing has to come to an end. We have kept quiet for sometime. You must leave the camp because you have spoiled our religion and children. If you don’t leave the camp, we are going to kill you one by one and we mean it. Enough is enough,” read the warning.

"We will kill you one by one" Warning issued to LGBT refugees in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp after holding a Pride event. pic.twitter.com/rPmUPz9Lbq

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka) June 19, 2018

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Moesa Mbazira who was part of the organizers said that he felt that his life was in danger since the event and that most of the people who participated in the event have feared going to work following the threats.

He felt that there was no protection for the LGBTQ community, a sentiment that was echoed by Maria Sjodin from Outright Action International, an organisation that caters for the rights and welfare of the LBTQ community.

“Many individuals who face persecution and violence at home because of their sexual orientation or gender identity end up in refugee centers surrounded by people from the very same homophobic and transphobic cultures and countries from which they fled,” she said.

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