Gay refugees from Burundi report being harassed in Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya — Burundi citizen Nina Muregwa said she feels threatened again. After escaping death threats back home over her sexual identity, the 17-year-old thought she had found a sanctuary in Kenya. Recent incidents, however, have left her scared for her life once again.

She and other lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender refugees allege they have been harassed in recent weeks by police in Kenya, which is a regional haven for the gay community and yet maintains that gay sex is illegal. It is the only East African nation where someone can seek asylum and be registered as a refugee based on LGBT status, the United Nations refugee agency says. It is not clear how many are registered in Kenya.

Muregwa and 16 other refugees say that five police officers arrested them at gunpoint at home and locked them up without charge earlier this month. They said that after they were released two days later, on June 10, another group of police officers tried to arrest them, but the U.N. refugee agency intervened.

Nairobi Police Chief Philip Ndolo said the refugees were arrested for their own protection. He did not give details.

The refugees have now locked themselves in their two-bedroom house in the capital, Nairobi, saying they are too frightened to venture out even for food because of threats from residents.

Kenyan human-rights activists said they saw this coming. They had warned that a closely watched High Court ruling last month upholding the criminalization of gay sex would create a backlash against the LGBT community. Gay-rights activist Eric Gitari said some Kenyans will now feel emboldened to act out, even with violence.

Gay refugees are seen as especially vulnerable. Last month, some of them protested outside the U.N. refugee agency office in Nairobi to demand more support from the agency and more respect from Kenyan authorities.

The U.N. refugee agency in a statement last month said that while Kenya’s government is responsible for ensuring the safety of gay refugees, the agency “is also actively involved in ensuring the protection of ALL refugees in the country.”