The 2010 Constitution and the country’s norms and traditions regarding marriage and relationships have been cited by Kenyan President William Ruto in his remarks on same-sex couples.
He praised the constitution for being one of the most progressive legal texts and said Kenyans would uphold all rights to the extent that they were recognised by law.
Yet he emphasized in a conversation with a German broadcaster that his nation has no problem with the way that marriage is construed or understood in other legal systems.
“In Kenya, the only understanding of relationships around marriage is around men marrying women, that is the context of relationship that exist in Kenya and is provided for in our constitution.
“It (same-sex marriage) can happen elsewhere, we have no issue with people celebrating their issues in America in other countries, that is their choosing,” he stressed when asked about a recent anti-same-sex law promulgated in neighbouring Uganda.
“In Kenya, we have taken a position that position of the Constitution, the position of the laws as it is today, if that is what they want to do, we cannot dictate to Germans or French or Americans or Ugandans if that is what they want to do.
“That is theirs to do, for us as a country, we have taken a position that is informed by our culture, our tradition, our Constitution and our laws,” he stressed.
