Amka Blogs
Silent battles, resounding strength: the lives of transgender refugees in Kenya
Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee camps, where around 250-300 self-declared LGBTQI+ asylum seekers and refugees live (Photo: Axel Fassio/CIFOR-ICRAF, via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) Around two billion people around the world are impacted by fragility, conflict, or violence – from the war in Ukraine and Russia, the violent struggles between Palestine and Israel, to the political upheavals in West […]
FROM PROSECUTION TO PROTECTION: THE DECRIMINALIZATION OF SEX WORK IN KENYA
In the heart of Nairobi, where the city’s rhythms merge with the vibrant pulse of its inhabitants, lies a story of transformation and empowerment. Recently, the National Committee on Criminal Justice Reforms (NCCJR) presented the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to the Parliament. Among others, the Bill boldly advocates for the deletion of sections 153, […]
LEAVING THE TABLE: A SUMMARY OF OGENTOTO v OGENTOTO
What one brings to the table has been a common conversation lately in the dating scene. The question that has however been litigated on over and over is on what one leaves with from that table upon the dissolution of a marriage. Some courts have ruled that all properties should be shared equally, others have […]
Unsafe in Somalia, Unwanted in Kakuma, Unwelcome in Nairobi: The Nightmares of Intersex Children Refugees
The sound of gunshots and blasts of bombs ring the air. A house burns here, a village scatters there. A woman clutches her child to her breast and runs, but the hem of her bui-bui catches flame. She puts it out with a repeated slap of the hand. But she cannot put out the fire […]
Debunking the Notion that Non-conforming Gender Identities are Un-African
Oftentimes, we shun discussions on the acceptance and inclusion of transgender and gender non-conforming persons and strongly reiterate that such identities are foreign to the African culture. Is this really the case? Historical evidence shows that such identities not only existed but were also accepted and respected. In Senegal for instance such gender identities were […]
ITGNC Refugees & Asylum Seekers: A forgotten people
The lives of intersex, trans gender and gender non-conforming refugees residing in the country has been one that has been characterized by many life-threatening challenges. Whether in the camps or in the urban areas, these persons live in constant fear and distress. The 2006 Refugee Act read together with its regulations requires refugees and asylum […]