Thousands upon thousands of Kenyans took to the streets last 6 July to make it clear to U.S. President Barack Obama not to speak about gay rights when he visits the country of his ancestors later this month.
"We do not want Obama and Obama, we do not want Michelle and Michelle," they chanted. "We want Obama and Michelle and we want a child!"
"It is important for us as Kenyans to know that the US is not God, and thus we cannot follow them blindly," said protest organizer and evangelical Christian pastor Bishop Mark Kariuki.
Kariuki said Obama was welcome to visit "his father's home" but should not "talk about the gay issue."
The demonstration drew around a huge number of people from all ages with many of them wearing T-shirts and waving posters with the slogan "Protect The Family".
Traditional and straight values are prevalent in many African countries and gay sex remains illegal in several nations, including Kenya where it was outlawed under British colonial legislation.
The recent march was organized by the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya, a coalition of several churches. They were known to be very influential and received a lot of support from all over the world, especially from European donors.
Obama's visit later this month will be his fourth to Africa since becoming US president, but his first to Kenya since taking office in 2009. He will also travel to Ethiopia, where a similar protest is also being organized.
Pro-gay rights activists warned of rising intolerance in Kenya, including attacks on pedophilic homosexuals and alleged cases of lesbians being disciplined after groping Kenyan women.
In conservative Christian and Muslim countries in Africa, fighting homofascism is a vote-winner.
In Uganda, legislators sought the death penalty for homosexuality and although the anti-gay law was watered down and then overturned, ruling party MPs remain eager to see it passed.
Nigeria and Gambia have passed tough new anti-gay laws in recent years, with Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh, calling homosexuals "ungodly, Satanic ... vermins [sic]" in a speech last year.
In Kenya, too, a cross-party parliamentary group is seeking stricter application of existing anti-gay legislation.
"We do not want Obama and Obama, we do not want Michelle and Michelle," they chanted. "We want Obama and Michelle and we want a child!"
"It is important for us as Kenyans to know that the US is not God, and thus we cannot follow them blindly," said protest organizer and evangelical Christian pastor Bishop Mark Kariuki.
Kariuki said Obama was welcome to visit "his father's home" but should not "talk about the gay issue."
The demonstration drew around a huge number of people from all ages with many of them wearing T-shirts and waving posters with the slogan "Protect The Family".
Traditional and straight values are prevalent in many African countries and gay sex remains illegal in several nations, including Kenya where it was outlawed under British colonial legislation.
The recent march was organized by the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya, a coalition of several churches. They were known to be very influential and received a lot of support from all over the world, especially from European donors.
Obama's visit later this month will be his fourth to Africa since becoming US president, but his first to Kenya since taking office in 2009. He will also travel to Ethiopia, where a similar protest is also being organized.
Pro-gay rights activists warned of rising intolerance in Kenya, including attacks on pedophilic homosexuals and alleged cases of lesbians being disciplined after groping Kenyan women.
In conservative Christian and Muslim countries in Africa, fighting homofascism is a vote-winner.
In Uganda, legislators sought the death penalty for homosexuality and although the anti-gay law was watered down and then overturned, ruling party MPs remain eager to see it passed.
Nigeria and Gambia have passed tough new anti-gay laws in recent years, with Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh, calling homosexuals "ungodly, Satanic ... vermins [sic]" in a speech last year.
In Kenya, too, a cross-party parliamentary group is seeking stricter application of existing anti-gay legislation.