A man who placed a rainbow flag representing the LGBTQ community on Mount Kenya in 2019, which a group of traditionalists recently removed, has vowed to repeat the act in defiance.
Juelz, who planted the original flag alongside his friend, Alex, took to Twitter to announce his intention to return to Mount Kenya this year to put up the flag again. In his tweet, he referred to removing the flag as “nonsense.”
However, a group of Kikuyu traditionalists under the banner of Booi wa Kirira Kia Mugikuyu were not pleased with the presence of the flag on Mount Kenya, which they consider their deity’s abode. They had raised funds to scale the mountain and remove the flag for the past month.
A team of ten climbers went up the mountain on April 7 and returned with the alleged flag, which they burned in Naromoru, Kieni East Sub-County, Nyeri County, and then cleansed in accordance with their cultural practices. The Kikuyu elders said they would throw the ashes from the burnt flag into the river that flows to the Indian Ocean.
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Kimani Charagu, a founding member of Booi wa Kirira, stated that raising the LGBTQ flag on Mount Kenya was an affront to their community’s spirituality and was desecrating their Supreme Altar. According to Kikuyu culture, members pray facing the mountain.
Following Juelz’s announcement to put up the flag again, a section of Twitter users opposed the move, with one user stating that Mount Kenya is for all and should remain neutral, free of any “shenanigans.” In response, Juelz urged them to bring their flags, promoting unity instead of division.
The incident highlights the ongoing debate over LGBTQ rights in Kenya, where homosexuality is illegal and stigmatized. Although the Constitution of Kenya guarantees the right to freedom of expression, the LGBTQ community faces discrimination and violence.
The act of placing the rainbow flag on Mount Kenya was seen as a symbol of hope for the LGBTQ community and their allies, while its removal and destruction have been viewed as a blow to their struggle for recognition and acceptance.
The controversy surrounding the LGBTQ rainbow flag on Mount Kenya is far from over, with opposing groups standing their ground. However, the incident has sparked a debate about the LGBTQ community’s rights and their place in Kenyan society.
