On Thursday, the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) banned the release of the queer film, ‘I am Samuel‘.
According to the board, the film is not suitable for viewing by a Kenyan audience. Furthermore, they described it as demeaning of Christianity and an affront to culture and identity.
I Am Samuel is a 2020 documentary from director Peter Murimi. A description of the film reads,
“Samuel, a gay Kenyan man, balances duty to his family with his love for his partner, Alex, in a country where their love is criminalised. Samuel grew up on a farm in the Kenyan countryside, where tradition is valued above all else. He moves to Nairobi in search of a new life, where he finds belonging in a community of fellow queer men where he meets and falls in love with Alex. Their love thrives even though Kenyan laws criminalize anyone who identifies as LGBTQ, and together they face threats of violence and rejection. Samuel’s father, a preacher at the local church, doesn’t understand why his son is not yet married. Samuel must now navigate the very real risk that being truthful to who he is may cost him his family’s acceptance.”
According to the KFCB, the documentary sought to spread conflict with the cultural values and conventions of the Kenyan people.
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A statement from the board reads in part,
“Worse still, the production is demeaning of Christianity as two gay men in the film purport to conduct a religious marriage invoking the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. On the basis of religion as a classifiable element, the Board finds the documentary not only blasphemous but also an attempt to use religion to advocate same-sex marriage,”
The board also added that the content of the film was an attempt to normalise same-sex marriage. A violation of Article 165 of the Kenyan Penal code and the Films and Stage Plays Act Cap 222.
“Any film or broadcast content appearing to legalize, advocate, normalize or glorify the act contravenes the laws of our land. The documentary is therefore, unacceptable and an affront to our culture and identity,” the statement read.
In 2019 Kenya’s High Court upheld a colonial-era ban on same-sex marriage. Those found guilty face jail terms of anything from 4 years to 14 years, depending on the offence.
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