Thursday, April 06, 2006

Good luck with that Madam Ngilu

From the East African Standard


Ngilu alarmed by homosexual cases

By Mathias Ringa and Mathias Ringa

Health minister Charity Ngilu yesterday said she would table the issue of homosexuality among Coastal youths before the Cabinet.

Ngilu termed the situation serious, adding that the matter must be handled at the Cabinet level.

Speaking in Mombasa during a leaders meeting, Ngilu said she was shocked by revelations that homosexuality among teenagers was rampant in Coastal towns.

"I did not know that homosexuality and sodomy were rampant among our youths in the Coast. This is a very sad thing. I will table the matter before the Cabinet so that we can find ways of ending this shameful menace," she said.

"What does the future hold for our children if some of them indulge in homosexuality and sodomy?" she asked.

She said homosexuality was illegal in Kenya.

"We cannot allow sex between man and man. Men should have sexual relationships with women only," she said.

She urged the provincial administration to crack down on tycoons who, she said, lured youths into homosexuality. Coast General Hospital chief administrator, Dr Khadija Shikelly, said schFoolgirls engaged in anal sex to avoid getting pregnant.

"There is need for parents to educate their children on the dangers of this vice," she said.

National Heritage minister, Suleiman Shakombo, said some girls engaged in the vice to preserve their virginity.

"This is due to some traditions that teach girls that they must be virgins when they get married," he said.

Elsewhere, Reproductive Health organisation’s deputy director, Dr Josephine Kibaru, has decried the rise in cases of HIV/Aids among youths.

Kibaru said studies by the Health ministry had shown that children aged between 14 and 15 were sexually active. She made the remarks at the Coast Provincial Commissioner’s office during a meeting, which focused on adolescents.

You all know what I'm going to say so for once I won't talk.What do you think about what she has said and what could/should or shouldn't be done?As we used to say, the floor is yours....

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

FFF.

take that "babe"

spicebear said...

ooooooooh here first!

my thoughts on this are:

1. doesn't she have more pressing matters to attend to than tabling reports on who's screwing who? if it is between two consenting adults i don't see what the problem is

2. i'm not into anal but c'mon! are they saying that "have sex, but no anal, it's dangerous!" lol
sidebar - that gives a whole new meaning to "technical" virgin!

3. instead of making it easier for men, women and children who have been raped/molested to get treatment at hospitals and what not here they are discussing something that has already been said over and over.

no crystal ball needed for this one: there shall be a couple of follow up articles on this one, one on the gay scene in kenya and another on how tourism and t.v have contributed to it. then it will be forgotten until the next time someone decides to table a report.

spicebear said...

hala, how did mutumia sneak on by? damn!

Anonymous said...

@ mutumia
Lol you snuck past spicebear!Damn you rock!
@ spicebear
1.Well since she is the Health minister I think sexual matters fall under her docket esp if they can spread HIV!
2.Ewwwwwwwwwww!
3.I feel you on that!As for lots of talk and little action after a report is written, that seems to be the way we do things!
As for me I think I will just sit back and see what happens.

spicebear said...

i think she went about it in a pretty lame way though - i still think its not her business about who is having sex with who (and how) but whether they are having it safely. all sex can be dangerous if its unprotected. and thse vague studies by the health ministry i don't like. where are the pie charts and statistics? it sounds to me like they are just reitarating everything that we already know.

Kelitu said...

I think as health Minister she should be telling people to use condoms coz people will not having gay sex or anal sex because it's labeled 'illegal'.
It's become quite the norm you know.

Girl next door said...

I think Madam Ngilu is entitled to her personal opinion about homosexuality, but right now her priorities as Minister of Health are screwed up! Children and their parents are starving (as we are reminded with pictures in the papers), people don't have access to clean water and other basic necessities, the govt. has swindled millions and billions(and I bet they'll get away with it), but this this "situation is serious...must be handled at the Cabinet level." Damn! Have these people ever heard of Maslow's hierachy of needs? Premarital sex is happening so youth should have ready access and info. on contraception.

Anonymous said...

In my opinion, this is a lost cause for Mrs Ngilu.

Fine, it is illegal in Kenya to be gay, so is to be a rapist, a murderer, to infect others with HIV when you know full well you are infected.......and the list goes on and on and on.

Questions she should be asking is:

1. How many of our teenagers are having sex?

2. How do we tackle this problem through contraceptives and awareness in our schools and media?

Besides, how come the men and men issue is the one being highlighted here? Kwani for mami's it is legal?

Stunuh Jay said...

OOH...OOH!
I think she should have stressed the practise of safe sex. What happens behing closed doors is nobody's business if the individuals are consenting. SHe never mentioned Lesbians, or did the thought just refuse to cross her mind?

Girl in the Meadow said...

Me dont give a damn about people's sexual orientations so i wonder why she should.

Somebody told me it is very hard to deal wit social issues. Different strokes for different folks as someone who i know says.

S Jay, when you talk about homosexuality, you are talking about gay and lesbians.

Anonymous said...

@ spicebear
Well said!
@ kelitu
Well to her it isn't normal so she is alarmed and shocked!
@ girl next door
I wouldnt have said it any better!
@ mocha!
you bring up a good point!I wonder if lesbianism is legal in Kenya?
@ stunuh
you and mocha are on the same page!
@ shiroh
Well it seems Madam Ngilu doesnt feel the same way!