MGHD 2022

Background: Discrimination, Harassment, and Violence (DHV) is perpetrated against individuals in Kenya based on real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI) at rates estimated to be higher than the general Kenyan population (Müller et al., 2021). Recent peer-reviewed survey studies show high lifetime prevalence of violence towards Kenyan LGBTIQ+ study participants ranging from 42% to 61.3%, but there lacks documentation of specific DHV cases, except for one study focusing on Key Populations (Bhattacharjee et al., 2018; Harper et al., 2021; Müller et al., 2021). Methods: This study analyzed secondary data utilizing records of 953 cases of DHV against LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and other gender and sexual minority) individuals across three geographic clusters in Kenya documented by the galck+ Emergency Security Response (ESR) mechanism from January through December 2021. Differences in case type, police reporting, case progress, perpetrators of cases, assistance type and challenges were evaluated across geographical clusters and/or survivor SOGI. Results: Over half (54.70%, n=521) of the cases reported were harassment (40.6%, n=387) and physical violence (14.1%, n=134). These were followed by cases of blackmail (7.8%, n=74), threats of violence (5.6%, n=53), and intimate partner violence (IPV; 4.2%, n=40). Only 17.9% (n=171) of the cases reported in 2021 were successfully reported to police. Psychosocial support (n=418, 40.5%) was the most reported type of assistance provided by the galck+ ESR mechanism in 2021. Batian cluster reported significantly higher rates of police reporting, while Lenana cluster recorded significantly higher rates of cases perpetrated by police. Compared to survivors of other sexual orientations bisexual survivors reported cases to the police at higher rates and lesbian survivors reported cases of violence at higher rates. Conclusion: The implications of this work are both immediate and long-term. Firstly, this quantitative analysis of the galck+ ESR mechanism will be immediately utilized by galck+ and their member organizations for both improvement of their security response practices and as evidence for resource mobilization. The results of this study add to the existing body of literature utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate DHV perpetrated against LGBTQ+ populations in Africa. However, future studies are needed to quantify population-level experiences of DHV among the LGBTQ+ population and qualitative work is needed to identify the unique contextual factors that drive these events in the Kenyan context.