On 21 November 2018, The BBC reported that Kenyan rugby player Kenneth Macharia was facing deportation from the United Kingdom after his asylum claim was rejected. He had been detained pending removal and was being held at Colnbrook immigration centre, near Heathrow Airport.
Macharia plays for Bristol Bisons, an LGBTQ+ rugby team, which said he feared “persecution and violence in Kenya because he is gay”. Teammates described him as “an integral part” of the club and said they were worried about losing him.
In a message posted on Twitter, the team 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,” the statement continued.
According to the report, Macharia reached out to team members by text messages the previous Friday, after which he was detained at the immigration centre. Bristol Bisons manager Lee Penfold said Macharia had been “with the team for a long time” and warned that a return to Kenya would mean he would “face almost certain persecution”. Penfold added: “No person should ever have to face this.”
Kenya criminalises homosexual acts, with penalties of up to 14 years in prison. The article also noted that Human Rights Watch found in 2016 that many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Kenya had “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.
