Kenyan Court Refuses to Lift Ban on LGBTQ+ Film «Rafiki»

Filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu plans to appeal the decision and bring it to the Supreme Court.

A Kenyan court decided Wednesday that the film Rafiki, which portrays a romance between two young Kenyan women, would continue to be banned in the country, Reuters reports.

«Rafiki», which means «friend» in Kiswahili, was initially banned by the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) in April 2018 on the grounds that it promotes homosexuality in a country where it is largely illegal. In Kenya, gay sex is a criminal offence, same-sex marriage is banned, and there are no explicit protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, them.us reports.

Nairobi Ziki played by Sheila Munyiva and Kena played by Samantha Mugatsia.