Kenyan high court upholds law banning gay sex

Kenya’s highest court ruled Friday that a colonial-era law banning gay sex will remain in place.

CNN reported that Kenya’s High Court ruled that advocates for same-sex couples’ rights did not adequately prove that the law was causing discrimination against Kenyans who identify as part of the LGBTQ community.

{mosads}The late 19th century law bars “carnal knowledge against the order of nature,” according to CNN.

Friday’s ruling was not unexpected, according to CNN, which reported that an official with the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission said the group has been preparing for a long legal fight.

“We are prepared for it to be a protracted struggle. We are well aware that the court process is very long and we are well aware that this is a heavily contested issue. [It] allows multiple appeals. So we will continue to make our case for equality,” Waruguru Gaitho said.

Kenya’s decision comes as other African nations have taken steps to recognize legal rights or protections for members of the LGBTQ community in recent months, including in Angola, where lawmakers recently removed a portion of the constitution that reportedly referred to same-sex relationships as “vices against nature.”

Thirty-eight countries in Africa currently have laws on the books that criminalize homosexuality, according to the news network, while South Africa remains the only country on the continent that recognizes both same-sex marriages and civil unions.