By KENFREY KIBERENGE
US President Barack Obama has for the first time responded to remarks made by Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto warning him not to pitch for rights of gays and lesbians in during his trip to Kenya.President Obama, during an interview with the BBC ahead of his arrival in Kenya later Friday night, said he disagreed with Mr Ruto’s remarks.
Here’s part of the BBC interview:
BBC’s Jon Sopel: “I’m going to suggest there may be one other difficult issue when you’re there. And that’s the issue of homosexuality, gay marriage, after the Supreme Court ruling. I mean, the deputy president in Kenya, who you’re going to meet, Mr Ruto, he said – “We have heard that in the US they have allowed gay relations and other dirty things.”
Obama: “Yeah. Well, I disagree with him on that, don’t I? And I’ve had this experience before when we’ve visited Senegal in my last trip to Africa. I think that the president there President Sall, is doing a wonderful job in moving the country forward – a strong democrat. But in a press conference, I was very blunt about my belief that everybody deserves fair treatment, equal treatment in the eyes of the law and the state.”
Early this month, DP Ruto said homosexuality has no place in the Kenyan society terming the practice as “unchristian”.
source: Nirobi News