[CTC] Advocacy Groups Want Halt to Kenya Trade Talks

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Full letter online here <https://tradejusticeedfund.org/wp-content/uploads/KenyaSTIP-QueerRightsLetter-0623.pdf>


Politico Morning Trade
June 8, 2023

ADVOCACY GROUPS WANT TO HALT KENYAN TRADE TALKS: A coalition of progressive organizations and human rights groups is calling on U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to pause trade talks with Kenya amid “the rapidly deteriorating state of LGBTQI+ rights” in the East African country.

In a new letter to Tai <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a4be94063d5b8b394ab0f4875e318e45bf04fc581eaf482206fe793f4d55ae1d560276a1996695a45a41839d5e9748c3ae5593696db9aa4>, the organizations write that continuing to negotiate the U.S.-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership,which the Biden administration initiated last year <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a4be94063d5b8b3ef35d6d6aaafc6cea0af54c63feb7dc703e07ac69b8e9f155b86a3f3f5f35d5ce3479e34b1f0d0789859fa1d09ab338e>, “sends the wrong message not only to Kenya but also to all countries currently considering policies that pose harm to LGBTQI+ people.”

The advocacy groups specifically criticize the so-called Family Protection Bill under consideration in Kenya’s parliament <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a4be94063d5b8b3397fa84cf53a48a611bdd60c107a42a100f8a4113b3a585569667fe22a1ba7a35e52688163a3fca3e10d3ac2a05a9248>, which would subject LGBTQ+ people to hefty prison sentences and put LGBTQ+ asylum seekers at risk of deportation. The legislation is being debated as anti-LGBTQ+ laws proliferate across the continent, with Uganda passing its own last week <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a4be94063d5b8b32c6641fb2a01d929bbcaaeb610fd43a64c4bf0ae0e59e483634562c12dcb925793942d84e9543493e4c54cb9cf92ac76>.

Nearly 50 organizations representing a broad swath of causes signed onto the letter, including Public Citizen, Rethink Trade, Human Rights Campaign, National LGBTQ Task Force, Service Employees International Union, Health GAP and Progressive Democrats of America.

They urge Tai not to resume trade talks unless Kenyan President William Ruto vows to veto any bills that criminalize the LGBTQ+ community. (Side note: Tai attended Ruto’s 2022 inauguration <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a4be94063d5b8b3bc748097e3cc464f73e05194548dba12c488ee3dd6bb4ef1a8f7c97d8cd42f7a49a6a55dc16e112b4b78d5e74ffdd7c7> on behalf of the Biden administration.) “Because Kenya is the only country in the region with which the U.S. is currently engaged in bilateral trade negotiations, the whole world is following the talks,” the letter states.

Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826




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