Dennis Nzioka is a homosexual man who happens to canvas for the rights of gay men and lesbians to live freely in the land of their birth -Kenya. But things are not always rosy. Take the past weekend for instance. The rights activist nearly met his maker when police officers allegedly under the pretext of the Nyumba Kumi Initiative stormed his house. This is what happened according to him:

I will digress today a bit on my TL to share how me and my (gay) friends were the unfortunate victims of and new .

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

 

I will digress today a bit on my TL to share how me and my (gay) friends were the unfortunate victims of and new . — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

Yesterday afternoon, in Umoja estate, me and around 7 gay friends were having a soiree. There was beer, home made food, movies.

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

As we were relaxing after cooking and having beer, 5 heavily armed plainclothes police officers entered the house announced. — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

The police ordered us to stand in a corner as they cocked their guns. They then started searching the house.

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

We were told to put our hands in the air as two searched us. The other three entered the two bedrooms, kitchen and toilet — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

They demanded our IDs and asked who the house owners were. The guns were aimed at us. We were told to kneel.

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

The house owners were held and forced to enter the rooms with the police officers demanding to see 'where he had hidden guns.' — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

The officers - still armed - turned the house upside down. Mattresses, couches and wardrobes all turned outside

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

All the while as two other police officers begun questioning us as we knelt - where we live, work, how we know each other — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

I won't lie - we were high from the beer we had been taking. We all sobered up as the police angrily demanded answers

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

The three officers who were searching with the house owner for 'guns' stumbled upon a box full of condoms and lubricants. — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

After 20 minutes of interrogation and fruitless search, they asked us to stand and they realized we were not suspects.

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

Everyone in the house produced a national ID, work and school ID and answered all questions as asked by the armed cops — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

Then the ice broke. Two of them - heavily set, older - police started joking with us. We knew they knew we are innocent.

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

 

Two of them jokingly told their other colleagues: These guys at least practice safe sex. This was after discovering the condoms — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

On seeing the lubricants - used for anal sex - their leader asked what it was for. We explained it used for anal sex mostly

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

He removed a lubricant and tore it and smeared the liquid on his hands. Gun given to another officer. It was strawberry flavor — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

He then asked us if we had extra lubricants he can take away. Two of the police left and came back with the caretaker

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

They told the house caretaker/agent that we were not 'suspicious' as he had reported us earlier that afternoon. — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

Apparently, the caretaker/agent had reported us since of the 7 men in the house, 5 of us had come with cars and parked outside

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

The police told us they had received reports that we were Al Shabab suspects or we were robbers. They had come to shoot and kill — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

Apparently, there were 5 plainclothes cops who entered the house. Three more were outside in a white van. Also armed. Waiting.

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

The white van outside was not marked. It was neither the standard issue dark blue vans you see cops with . All were plainclothed. — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

One of the police asked for a piece of paper and wrote all our names - he wanted all three names - and phone numbers

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

They wanted to take us to the AP police post at Umoja 2 next to the Chief's camp for 'further investigations' — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

So, we started joking with the police as we offered them a bottle of Top Secret brandy. It costs 500 bob. Turned it down

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

They refused the alcohol as they said they were 'on duty.' We gave one officer a packet of strawberry flavored lubricants. — DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

 

We all sat down as they were leaving and went back to drinking and eating as the reality hit us. The caretaker left in a huff.

— DENIS NZIOKA (@DenisNzioka)

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