While the LGBTQ community has come to be accepted in the current world, that's not the case in many African countries, Kenya included. T...
While the LGBTQ community has come to be accepted in the current world, that's not the case in many African countries, Kenya included. There is still a great deal of resentment of gay people. In addition, the law in many ways does not favour the LGBTQ community.
However, in recent time, a number of Kenyan celebrities have proudly come out as LGBTQ. Their coming out has often been met with stigma and in some cases downright hostility.
Here are the brave ones who've stuck out their necks regardless:
Brendah Jons - Famously known as 'Mama Kingston', Brendah Jons came out to her fans as a gay woman last year after she publicly revealed details of her relationship with her former partner. Jons uploaded a video explaining her sexual orientation to her fans and within hours, she found out that her girlfriend had cheated on her. In a series of videos on her Instagram stories, the content creator narrated how news of her cheating partner hit her hard.
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Brendah Jons aka Mama Kingston. PHOTO | COURTESY[/caption]
Makena Njeri - The former
Tahidi High actress and CEO of Bold Network is one of the proudest lesbians in the country. Her reputation of being a cheater, however, has subjected to so much flak. She was formerly dating Martini Naturals CEO Michelle Ntalami before their tumultuous breakup late last year.
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Former Tahidi High actress and CEO of Bold Network Makena Njeri. PHOTO | COURTESY[/caption]
Dennis Karuri - The makeup industry has for decades been dominated by women, but Dennis is widely regarded as the best make-up artist in Kenya. Dennis loves putting on make-up and wearing women’s outfits to look exactly like a woman. Although he has been criticized online for his sexual orientation, he is proudly gay.
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Kenyan makeup artist Dennis Karuri. PHOTO | COURTESY[/caption]
Noti Flow - Definitely one of the most controversial artistes in Kenya. Noti Flow has publicly declared that she is into women and her involvement with them. She had a short term relationship with Vanessa Chettle and previously released videos in support of LGBTQ. Noti Flow has been open about her same sex relationships and her views on them. She is currently dating Instagram influencer King Alami.
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Kenyan artiste Noti Flow. PHOTO | COURTESY[/caption]
Willis Chimano - The Sauti Sol band member had social media in a frenzy when he came out of the closet. Although there were rumours about his sexuality before he came out, he received a lot of backlash from the public. Regardless, he has stood his ground and is openly gay.
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Sauti Sol band member Willis Chimano. PHOTO | POOL[/caption]
Silas Miami - Silas is one of the most talented Kenyan filmmakers. He once posed on social media with his male Caucasian lover, while declaring how happy he was. He currently lives in South Africa where he works in the film industry.
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Kenyan filmmaker Silas Miami. PHOTO | COURTESY[/caption]
Anita Nderu - The social media personality and sensation tweeted some controversial things and hinted her sexuality. While referring to herself as an activist she tweeted: “I hope my kids don’t pass through what I have for being LGBTQ”. She also caused an uproar on social media uproar when she invited gay people into her cookery show dubbed the "Overdressed Cook". This got her into a lot of trouble with the infamous keyboard warriors. But she pushed back by tweeting, "I will never be bullied into silence. As human beings we have the right to refuse to be defined by what other people think rather we must define ourselves."
