President Obama is currently with relatives in Kenya at the moment, and while he has said the visit to Kenya is to largely focus on boosting business and investment in the country and dealing with the region's security threats, has not failed to mention of equal gay rights to the Kenyan president, Kenyatta.
President Obama calls on African nations to treat gay and lesbians equally, a topic not only sensitive in Kenya, but in other African continents. Speaking at a joint news conference between the two leaders, Obama said he is "unequivocal" on the treatments of gay and lesbian citizens. Obama said, The idea that they are going to be treated differently or abused because of who they love is wrong.
President Obama, Kenyatta and Michelle Obama at the white white
Read : Buhari Said No To Gay Rights, Read His Full Speech At United States Institute of Peace
Obama compared the issue of of denying gay rights to the treatment of blacks in the United States during the segregation. Obama said :
That’s the path whereby freedoms begin to erode and bad things happen,When a government gets in the habit of treating people differently, those habits can spread.
Responding to the requests of President Obama, the Kenya president, Kenyatta said,
This issue is not on the foremost mind of Kenya — and that is a fact
Kenyans have threatened to disrupt and protest against the visit of President Obama if he brings up the issue of gays or lesbians while in the country. Kenyans have said there will be a mass demonstration if the issue is being discussed during his visit.
President Obama is scheduled to meet with Civil society groups to discuss human rights and civil liberties.
The Nigerian president, while in the US last week also dismissed the issue of gay rights in Nigeria, saying it is sodomy to allow such in Nigeria, as Nigerians also kicked against the issue of gay or lesbians been discussed at the Nigerian president 4 days visit to the USA.