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Obama: I disagree with DP Ruto on gay rights


US President Barack Obama has for the first time responded to remarks made by Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto warning him not to pitch for rights of gays and lesbians in during his trip to Kenya.

President Obama, during an interview with the BBC ahead of his arrival in Kenya later Friday night, said he disagreed with Mr Ruto’s remarks.

Here’s part of the BBC interview:

BBC’s Jon Sopel: “I’m going to suggest there may be one other difficult issue when you’re there. And that’s the issue of homosexuality, gay marriage, after the Supreme Court ruling. I mean, the deputy president in Kenya, who you’re going to meet, Mr Ruto, he said – “We have heard that in the US they have allowed gay relations and other dirty things.”

Obama: “Yeah. Well, I disagree with him on that, don’t I? And I’ve had this experience before when we’ve visited Senegal in my last trip to Africa. I think that the president there President Sall, is doing a wonderful job in moving the country forward – a strong democrat. But in a press conference, I was very blunt about my belief that everybody deserves fair treatment, equal treatment in the eyes of the law and the state.”

Early this month, DP Ruto said homosexuality has no place in the Kenyan society terming the practice as “unchristian”.

Deputy President William Ruto addressing the congregation at AIC Ziwani Local Church on July 05, 2015 where he termed homosexuality as unchristian. PHOTO | PAUL WAWERU
Deputy President William Ruto addressing the congregation at AIC Ziwani Local Church on July 05, 2015 where he termed homosexuality as unchristian. PHOTO | PAUL WAWERU

“Homosexuality is against the plan of God, God did not create man and woman so that men would marry men and women marry women.

“We have heard that in US they have allowed gay relations and other dirty things, I want to say as a Christian leader that we will defend our country Kenya, we will stand for our faith and our country,” Mr Ruto told a church congregation.

President Uhuru Kenyatta had said gay rights will not be on the agenda in the bilateral talks he will hold with President Obama.

But the US President said he would talk about it during his trip to Kenya.

“I am not a fan of discrimination and bullying of anybody on the basis of race, on the basis of religion, on the basis of sexual orientation or gender. And I think that this is actually part and parcel of the agenda that’s also going to be front and centre, and that is how are we treating women and girls,” he said.

“And as somebody who has family in Kenya and knows the history of how the country so often is held back because women and girls are not treated fairly, I think those same values apply when it comes to different sexual orientations.”