Kenya’s UN Vote Sparks Uproar as Citizens Demand Clarification from Mudavadi

Kenya’s UN Vote Sparks Uproar as Citizens Demand Clarification from Mudavadi

By Maximilla WAFULA & Patrick KIMANZI 

The County Diary News .

CitizenGo Director Ann Kioko presenting petition to the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs office on Friday in Nairobi.

Nairobi, July 11, 2025 Kenya – The government’s recent decision to vote in favour of renewing the United Nations mandate on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) has triggered a wave of criticism across the country. On July 5, 2025, Kenya cast a vote in support of the controversial resolution without public consultation, a move that has left many Kenyans feeling betrayed and sidelined.

In a formal petition submitted to the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Musalia Mudavadi, over 12,000 Kenyan citizens expressed strong opposition to the vote. The petition, spearheaded by Ann Kioko, the Campaigns Director for Africa at CitizenGO, urged the government to immediately withdraw its support and issue a public clarification disassociating the country from the mandate.

The petitioners argue that the SOGI mandate is far from a neutral human rights initiative. They claim it has become a politically charged tool used to pressure nations into accepting ideologies that are fundamentally at odds with Kenya’s cultural, religious, and moral values. These include the push for same-sex marriage, radical gender theories in school curricula, and the suppression of religious convictions.

Critics of the vote have also pointed out the irony that even countries such as the United States voted against the SOGI mandate, yet Kenya—despite its deep-rooted cultural and religious foundations—chose to support it. This has raised serious concerns about the direction of Kenya’s foreign policy and the decision-making processes guiding it.

The letter to Hon. Mudavadi emphasizes that the vote contradicts the Constitution of Kenya, which recognises the family as the natural and fundamental unit of society. The move is being seen as an affront to this principle and a threat to national identity, values, and sovereignty.

The petitioners are calling on the Prime Cabinet Secretary to use the provision available within the United Nations system to issue a post-vote statement of position. They believe that such a clarification would restore public trust and affirm Kenya’s commitment to its Constitution and moral values. While the vote itself has already been cast, a public statement would demonstrate that the country does not endorse the global push to alter its cultural fabric.

According to the appeal, the decision has already begun to have international repercussions. Kenya’s vote is now being used by foreign entities to legitimise agendas that many citizens believe compromise the welfare of their children and undermine long-standing social norms.

With growing concern from religious leaders, cultural institutions, and ordinary citizens, the pressure is mounting on the government to act swiftly and decisively. The petition ends with an urgent plea for leadership, calling on Mudavadi to protect the identity and sovereignty of the nation before the situation escalates further.

As the debate intensifies, Kenyans await a response from the government. The call is loud and clear: Kenya must stand firm on its values and correct the course.