A family in Kangemi, Nyeri County, is searching for their son, Brian Kagiri Wanjiru, who disappeared in October last year after being allegedly targeted over his sexual orientation, an incident that sparked anger among villagers.
According to James Mugo, coordinator of a local Social Watch Group, Kagiri and his partner, Brian Njuguna, were allegedly found engaging in same-sex activity during a private gathering on October 3, 2025.
“Angry villagers assaulted the two and banished them from the village. The community members described their behaviour as unacceptable and against local norms, and said they should leave,” Mugo said in an interview with The Standard.
Following the incident, Kagiri reportedly disappeared after being assaulted during the chaos. Police who arrived at the scene summoned the two for questioning, but Kagiri has not been seen since.
Mugo said the family is deeply worried about his whereabouts but is afraid to approach authorities.
“The family is very concerned that Kagiri is in hiding following the exposure of his sexual orientation,” he said.
He added, “It is now months later; the family is traumatised. They cannot go to the police because the act is a criminal offence. They are now relying on a human rights group to help trace him.”
Speaking at a human rights forum in a Nakuru hotel, Mugo said many young people involved in same-sex relationships live in fear due to Kenya’s laws criminalising such conduct.
“Under the colonial-era Penal Code, consensual same-sex relations carry penalties ranging from five to 14 years in prison,” he said.
He also referenced the High Court ruling of May 24, 2019, which upheld the constitutionality of laws criminalising same-sex acts between consenting adults, following a petition filed in 2016 by three Kenyan LGBTQ rights organisations.
The petitioners had argued that Sections 162 and 165 of the Penal Code violate constitutional protections on equality, dignity, privacy, non-discrimination, security, and health.
“Kenya’s High Court has relegated people in same-sex relationships to second-class citizenship, based on the argument that the Penal Code is not discriminatory,” Mugo said.
Kenya’s anti-homosexuality provisions date back to the colonial era. Section 162 criminalises “carnal knowledge against the order of nature,” carrying penalties of up to 14 years in prison, while Section 165 prohibits “indecent practices between males,” punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment.