He received strong criticism from various quarters across the country. However Kenneth Binyavanga Wainaina was loved by the world.
He was a witty writer, human rights Czar and a rights defender for sexual gender minorities in the country.
Wainaina who curtains fell on 21st May, 2019 at the Agha khan University hospital, Nairobi has penned down encouraging and interesting books among them ‘How to write about Africa, ‘Discovering home’ ‘One day I will write about this day’ and many more that made him an international icon.
Hate him or love him he was open about his sexual orientation and identity, Binyavanga never bites his lips about his sexual attraction to same gender sex.
He would wear what he chose at any time and some would despise him, but how many Kenyans would want to wear the same but they could not because of the African culture and discrimination?
He encouraged sexual gender minorities to fight for their rights
No doubt the late rights defender encouraged sexual gender minorities to venture into fighting for their rights, leading to various cases filed in court including the recent repeal 162 case that the court declined to decriminalise same gender sex last Friday.
[Binyavanga Wainaina at a past function. Photo/Courtesy].
Binyavanga won the ‘Caine prize’ for Africa writing in 2002 and in 2014 he was listed among the top 100 influential persons in the world, a survey done by the Time magazine.
The 48 year old sexual gender minority activist was set to wed his Nigerian lover this year.
Binyavanga will also be remembered for openly declaring that he was HIV positive, a step that was depicted a clear fight against stigmatisation against people living with HIV in the country.
Coast sexual gender minority activists to enhance rights activism
Pema Kenya Executive director Ishmail Bahati together with other Coastal sexual gender minority activists mourned Binyavanga.
[PEMA Kenya Executive director Ishmail Bahati. Photo/Haramo Ali].
They termed him as a fearless activist who would state it the way it is and who would reveal his innermost sexual orientation without fear.
“His activism led to an increase in gender sexual minority activism especially at the Coast where we are based and we will surely carry on with his legacy,” he said.
The rights activist stated that such activism is meant to enable sexual gender minorities understand and fight for their rights, any time.
Bahati said that such activism will enable sexual gender minorities practice safer sex and enjoy their rights as any other Kenyan.
“The constitution is above any other law and it provides human rights for all without segmenting people on aspects of their sexual orientation,” he noted.
