On 21 November 2018, Nyakundi Report notes that Kenyan rugby player Kenneth Macharia has been detained in the UK after his asylum claim was rejected, with supporters warning that a return to Kenya could put him at risk of violence and persecution.
Macharia plays for Bristol Bisons, an LGBTQ+ rugby team, and was being held at Colnbrook immigration centre near Heathrow Airport after contacting teammates by text messages the previous Friday for help. The team said he feared “persecution and violence in Kenya because he is gay.”
In a statement posted on Twitter, his teammates described him as “an integral part” of the group. They also said: “His commitment to the ethos of rugby and inclusive gay rugby is second to none. We are at risk of losing one of the herd,”
Bristol Bisons manager Lee Penfold said Macharia had been “with the team for a long time” and that, if removed to Kenya, he would “face almost certain persecution”. Penfold added: “No person should ever have to face this.”
The legal backdrop remains severe. Homosexual acts are illegal in Kenya and carry a penalty of up to 14 years in prison. Human Rights Watch said in 2016 that many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Kenya faced “daily safety concerns”.
Macharia is also a member of Kiki, an LGBTQ+ group that supports gay members of black and ethnic minority communities. The group said it was “saddened to hear about the pending deportation of Kenneth” and warned that “The Home Office's decision to deport will put Mr Macharia in danger of persecution and harm”.
The BBC said it had contacted the Home Office for comment.
Also read: A precarious haven: Africa's LGBT refugees teeter on the brink in Kenya
