Piece by: Moses Sagwe

12 February 2023

• Nandi also registers 68 new AIDS cases every month, with a large percentage of those cases coming from LGBTQ people.

A surprising study from Nandi county shows that in recent days, cases of same-sex love and the increase of LGBTQ members has grown rapidly.

According to reports, a thousand men who identify as LGBTQ members have been arrested while a similar number of women are reported to be gay.

Deputy governor of Nandi Dr. Yulita Cheruiyot Mitei revealed that the trend was a serious threat to the family social system in the county.

She said Nandi County was recording 68 new infections of AIDS cases every month with the statistics recording a high percentage among LBGTQ+ groups who work differently.

Cheruiyot spoke during a public forum in the "Stop the three threats" campaign towards ending new infections of AIDS, Sexual Violence, and teenage pregnancies.

She called on parents to spend time with their children and address the issue of same-sex relationships which he termed as "un-African" and should never be tolerated in Nandi county.

"Let's end the silence and we should oppose it because it is not divine in all aspects because it goes against our creation and nature," the deputy governor said.

Most of the new infections are among LBGTQ+ members who are diagnosed when they go to take medication.

She said that several children have been tricked into joining these groups by not being close to their

fathers or step-parents, some of these cases have not been reported to the authorities so that action can be taken.

"We want to urge community health volunteers to start recording and reporting cases to the administration and the police for action," Cheruiyot added.

The director general of the National Council for the Control of Syndemic Diseases Dr. Ruth Laibon Masha said her organization is committed to ending three evils that have adversely affected the development of the country.

Cases of defilement and having sex with family members are gaining momentum throughout the country as men are in a bad situation having sex with their children.

The Nandi county government has established a toll-free helpline number 1548 in collaboration with telecommunications company-Safaricon to help residents break the silence and report cases immediately.

This high number of LGBTQ cases that have been contested in the country comes a few days after LGBTQ activist Edwin Chiloba from Uasin Gishu county was killed by his friends in a romantic dispute.